A Novel Innovation for Surgical Flap Markings Using Projected Stencils.

Despite the vast amount of technological advancement seen in the operating room, surgical markings are still drawn as "best estimates" the same way Susruta drew them in the sixth century BC. Many of the flaps used in plastic surgery have precise geometries that are hard to replicate by hand. In this article, the authors describe a novel approach in making surgical markings more accurate by using a pico-projector to project a prefabricated flap, designed on Google Sketchup, as a stencil. Projected and hand-drawn rhomboid and bilobed flaps were tested on cadavers, with both quantitative and qualitative outcomes favoring the projected flaps. This unique concept can not only be used in the operating room but also serve as an educational tool for training plastic and reconstructive surgeons. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, V.