Utility of preoperative colour flow Doppler assessment of perforator anatomy in medial sural artery perforator (MSAP) free flaps.

Purpose: It is known that the vascular perforators upon which the medial sural artery perforator (MSAP) flap is based are subject to considerable variation. This study seeks to evaluate the use of colour flow Doppler (CFD) as an imaging technique to establish the presence of suitable vessels, the discriminatory findings from that imaging, the rate of flap abandonment and flap complications.

Methods: All patients undergoing MSAP in our institution since 2015 had a pre-operative CFD using a standardised technique.

Current thinking in lower third molar surgery.

The removal of lower third molar teeth is one of the most common surgical procedures performed worldwide, but many concepts in this surgery have been unclear and have engendered different opinions. This paper aims to review current thinking in certain pertinent aspects of this surgery to update the reader on the most current research and synthesise it to make clinical recommendations. Topics covered include preoperative imaging, timing of removal, flap design, lingual retraction, coronectomy, lingual split, closure techniques, and use of antibiotics, steroids, and drains.