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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
An Experimental Human DIEP Flap Model to Investigate Preservation Strategies for Vascularized Composite Allografts and Free Flaps
Published on: December 5, 2025
[Experimental study of increasing effect of the fat flap tissue after delay operation on its free graft survival
Xiao-Chun Zhong1, You-Di Ni, Xiao-Sheng He
1The Second People's Hospital of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310015, China.
Objective:
To observe the effects of the fat flap tissues after delay operation on free fat-graft survival rate and duration.
Methods:
The delay operation of fat flaps was performed in the inguinal region of a rabbit. Expression of VEGF was assayed using Elisa method after 12 hours of flap delay. The fat flaps were harvested and cut into pieces after 21 days. A subdermal pocket was created in each side of the dorsal midline of a rabbit, the fat pieces were grafted randomly into a pocket and the normal fat pieces into the other pocket as control. After 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of implantation, the grafted fats were harvested, gross observation, weight measurement and histology were carried out. Number of the vessels stained with anti-CD34 antibody was counted out.
Results:
VEGF concentrations in flaps were significantly higher (P < 0.05). The density of vessels in experimental groups increased significantly compared with that in control groups at 1 and 3 months, respectively (P < 0.01), and no significant differences in the survival rate of fat tissues between experimental and control groups were observed at 1 and 3 months (P > 0.05). The fat cells from the flaps survived after 12 months of fat plantation, while those in control groups disappeared after 6 months.
Conclusions:
The survival rate and duration of grafted fat could be increased implanting the fat tissues from delayed fat flap, which may provide researchers with a new method for fat graft.
