Circulation of blood and viability after blunt suction lipectomy in pig buttock flaps

Bilateral buttock flaps were raised in 13 Yorkshire pigs, and the viability and superficial blood flow were assessed by injection of fluorescein and laser Doppler flowmetry. One flap was then chosen at random from each pig to be defatted by blunt suction lipectomy. The opposite flap served as the control. Five and 30 minutes after lipectomy, the experimental flaps showed a 31% and 37% decrease in laser Doppler values (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), measured 6 cm proximal to the margin of the fluorescein dye. There was no reduction in the values in the controls. One week after liposuction, the median area of flap necrosis in treated flaps was 4,615 mm2 (range 735-6,748) and in controls 4,104 mm (1,576-5,879). This difference was not significant (p = 0.24). Blunt suction lipectomy of the skin flaps did not significantly decrease the viability. The decreased skin circulation shown by laser Doppler soon after lipectomy may be a minor or temporary phenomenon.