Use of vein-patch angioplasty in microvascular tissue transfers

Vein-patch angioplasty is a well-established technique in vascular surgery to reduce the critical narrowing of the arteriotomy site. In microsurgical end-to-side anastomosis, although the arteriotomy is not closed, it is not known if anastomosis through a sclerotic segment contributes to narrowing at the anastomotic site. It is certainly technically difficult to perform a microanastomosis with fine sutures through a sclerotic segment. Two cases are illustrated in which vein-patch angioplasties were successfully used for microsurgical anastomoses.