Effect of aspirin and heparin on random skin flap survival in rats

Avshalom Shalom*, Tal Friedman, Melvyn Westreich

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Aspirin and heparin are commonly given to patients undergoing microvascular procedures to increase flap survival and patency, yet there is scant information concerning the effect these flaps have on nonmicrovascular flaps. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to obtain baseline values concerning the effect of aspirin and heparin on the viability of standardized flap tissues. METHODS AND MATERIALS: One hundred rats were divided into five groups receiving high-dose aspirin, low-dose aspirin, high-dose aspirin in combination with heparin, and heparin alone and the final group were controls. The viability of the tissue was measured at 1 week by fluorescein florescence. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in flap survival in the high-dose aspirin and high-dose aspirin combination groups. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that high-dose aspirin increases survival of ischemic flap tissue irrespective of the presence of microvascular anastomosis and may be of clinical benefit in all flap surgery.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)785-790
Number of pages6
JournalDermatologic Surgery
Volume34
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2008

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