Making of a facial perforator map by thermography.

It has been confirmed that thermography is an effective method by which to locate perforators to be used for local flaps. One disadvantage of thermography is its complicated procedure. If it was possible to identify perforators quickly and easily, many operations would be dramatically simplified. The authors' objective was to develop a method of mapping surface perforators using thermography. They pressed a vinyl bag filled with ice water against a test area for 25 seconds and began photographing the area directly after icing. Almost all of the enhanced hot spots appeared for 65 seconds after icing. The number and locations of enhanced perforating vessels varied widely, which they anticipated as a result of differences among individuals, and fluctuations in the measuring environment and the performance of measuring instruments. However, the presence of many perforators is common, and these images are considered to be reliable. Based on their findings, the authors consider the facial perforator map to be accurate and useful. Application of the facial perforator map may simplify many operations and may contribute to making surgery safer and more effective.