Abstract
To determine the effect of high frequency Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) on viability of random skin flap in rats. The sample of this study was 75 Wistar rats. The skin flap measured 10 x 4 cm and a plastic barrier was interposed between the flap and donor site. After the operative procedure, animals of all groups were maintained anesthetized one more hour with electrodes positioned in the base of the flap and submitted to treatment according of their respective group. This procedure was repeated on the two subsequent days. G1: sham stimulation (control), G2: TENS (f = 80 Hz and I = 5 mA), G3: TENS (f = 80 Hz and I = 10 mA), G4: TENS (f = 80 Hz and I = 15 mA), G5: TENS (f = 80 Hz and I = 20 mA). The average percentage of necrotic area was 43,11, 34,65, 49,44, 23,52, 45,10 in groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 respectively. The amplitude of 15 mA presented a lower necrotic area than control group and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation was efficient in increasing the random skin flap viability.
Highlights
Skin flaps represent the most frequent resource used in the reconstructive surgery of loss of substances, which can be traumatic or postoperative procedures 1
Animals of all groups were maintained anesthetized one more hour with electrodes positioned in the base of the flap and submitted to treatment according of their respective group
The amplitude of 15 mA presented a lower necrotic area than control group and Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation was efficient in increasing the random skin flap viability
Summary
Skin flaps represent the most frequent resource used in the reconstructive surgery of loss of substances, which can be traumatic or postoperative procedures 1. A new research field using non-pharmacological agents, such as acupuncture 8 and electroacupuncture 6, pulsed electromagnetic energy 9, low-power lasers 10, polarized low frequency electrical currents [7, 11,12,13,14] and non-polarized currents [6, 15,16,17,18] has emerged Among these resources, the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation – TENS – has deserved detach due to its low cost and facility on application, being studied as possible method in the treatment of ischemic skin flaps, where it has presented positive results 6, 7, 12, . The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of the high frequency TENS in random skin flaps in rats
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