Doppler-assisted vascular pedicle flaps in eyelid and periorbital reconstruction

The use of a transcutaneous ultrasonic Doppler flow detector to identify the supratrochlear and superficial temporal arteries permits the design of narrow-based, thin-tipped forehead flaps for use in medial canthal and eyelid reconstruction. In the 13 cases described, the axial, vascular supply of a proposed myocutaneous forehead flap was determined with a transcutaneous ultrasonic Doppler flow detector permitting narrow-based pedicle widths of 0.8 to 1.2 cm. The design of the distal portion of the flap was determined by the primary defect. The width of the flap varied from 1.5 to 4.0 cm, with the flap's axial length limited only by the hairline. This use of the ultrasonic Doppler flow detector, permitting narrow-based, thin-tipped vascular pedicle flaps, has assisted in refining the concept of forehead flaps and has made these flaps an acceptable primary reconstructive technique in the periorbital region.