Anatomical Basis of the Gastroepiploic Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer: A Radiographic Evaluation Using Computed Tomographic Angiography

Abstract

When using the right gastroepiploic artery donor site for vascularized lymph node transfer, the plastic surgeon should anticipate using a pedicle length of 4 cm, a total flap length of 9 cm, and 3 cm of surrounding tissue to obtain at least three lymph nodes for transfer. Computed tomographic angiography is an effective imaging modality that can be used for patient-specific surgical navigation before vascularized lymph node transfer.