[Formation of a microvascular, multilayer constructed transplant using the greater omentum]

The high potential for vascularisation of the greater omentum, described in the literature and in our own investigations was used to build microsurgical compound island flaps containing hard tissue grafts like Proplast. In the first operative procedure Proplast was inserted into the omentum and a flap was formed pedicled on the right gastro-epiploic vessels and transposed into the subcutaneous layer. Two to three weeks later the vascularized Proplast could be removed together with the overlying skin and fat. In another experiment Proplast was inserted into the pedicled omentum and put back into the belly. A second laparotomy was performed 14 days later to cover the omentum-Proplast sandwich with a split skin allograft. In both experiments the total compound sandwich flap was supplied only by the right gastro-epiploic vessels, which allowed a microsurgical transplantation.