ABSTRACT
Skin and musculocutaneous flaps in a pig model were studied for their response to
heating of the laser Doppler probe, both in the perfused state and in conditions of
vascular occlusion. Even though heating the probe resulted in an elevation of perfusion
of the flaps with no occlusions, it also increased the apparent perfusion of flaps
that were occluded. The ability of flows to augment with heating, therefore, could
not be perfectly correlated with impeded vascular flow. The addition of a heated perfusion
reading for assessment of vascular occlusion did not improve the accuracy of the laser
Doppler for monitoring of capillary-bed perfusion to detect vascular occlusion.
