Objective:
To present the use of indocyanine green and the LifeCell SpyElite System to confirm perfusion and viability of a forehead flap prior to division and inset, thereby eliminating the question of flap survival based on clinical judgment alone.
Methods:
A case report of a 67-year-old man with a forehead flap reconstruction following an acquired nasal defect due to resection of an adenoid cystic carcinoma is presented. LifeCell SpyElite System was used to confirm perfusion prior to pedicle division.
Results:
The LifeCell SpyElite System was used to confirm perfusion to the forehead flap prior to pedicle division during the second stage of the procedure. After confirming perfusion, the pedicle was divided and the flap was inset. The remainder of the patient's operative and postoperative course was uneventful, and he healed without incident.
Conclusions:
Indocyanine green and the LifeCell SpyElite System is a reliable method to confirm perfusion and viability of staged reconstructive procedures prior to division and inset, thereby eliminating the question of flap survival based on clinical judgment alone. This is a practical application of this technology that has not been previously described in the plastic surgery literature.