Here, we describe a pre-clinical animal model for studying the pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion injury in reconstructive microsurgery. This free skin flap model based on the superficial caudal epigastric vessels in the rat may also allow for the evaluation of different therapies and compounds to counteract ischemia-reperfusion injury-related damage.
Ballestín, A., Casado, J. G., Abellán, E., Vela, F. J., Campos, J. L., Martínez-Chacón, G., Bote, J., Blázquez, R., Sánchez-Margallo, F. M. A Pre-clinical Rat Model for the Study of Ischemia-reperfusion Injury in Reconstructive Microsurgery. J. Vis. Exp. (153), e60292, doi:10.3791/60292 (2019).