An Experimental and Clinical Study of Flap Monitoring with an Analysis of the Clinical Course of the Flap Using an Infrared Thermal Camera

Abstract

Flap surgery is a common method used to cover defects following tumor ablation, trauma, or infection. However, insufficient vascularity in the transferred flap can lead to flap necrosis and failure. Proper postoperative monitoring is essential to prevent these complications. Recently, research has explored the use of infrared thermal imaging in plastic surgery, leading to its clinical application. This study comprises two separate parts: an in vivo experimental study and a clinical study. In this study, 28 rats underwent reverse McFarlane flap surgery, and their flaps were analyzed using a FLIR thermal imaging camera seven days post-surgery. Additionally, thermal images of flaps were taken on postoperative days 0, 1, 2, 3, and 7 in 22 patients. This study focused on temperature differences between normal skin and the perforator compared to the average flap temperature. Results showed that the temperature difference was higher in the necrosis group and increased over time in cases of total necrosis. A lower perforator temperature compared to the flap’s average indicated vascular compromise, potentially leading to flap failure. The FLIR camera, being contact-free and convenient, shows promise for understanding and inferring the clinical progression of flaps in postoperative monitoring.