Increasing the survival of transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps with a Botulinum toxin-A injection: A comparison of surgical and chemical flap delay methods

摘要

Background: Botulinum toxin type-A (Bot-A) is a commonly used drug for both cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. The effects of Bot-A on skin and muscle flaps and the related mechanisms have been described previously. In this study, we used a rat transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap model to examine the effects of Bot-A on the skin island, which is perfused by the rectus abdominis muscle according to the angiosome concept.