The vascular supply to the skin: an anatomical and physiological reappraisal--Part II.

The subcutaneous vascular system demonstrated in the first part of this study augments skin flap survival when included within human abdominal flaps. Flaps with larger subcutaneous vessels will survive to a greater length than flaps supplied solely by the subdermal plexus. Knowledge of the subcutaneous vascular system is applicable to breast reduction, subcutaneous mastectomy, and abdominal lipectomy.