OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of color doppler flow imaging(CDFI) technique in the design of axial pattern flap. METHODS: From April 1996 to June 1999, 10 patients with residual wound were adopted in this study. Among them, there were seven males and three females, the area of wounds ranged from 6 cm x 8 cm to 15 cm x 20 cm. Before operation, the axial pattern flaps were designed by traditional method, then CDFI technique with high frequency(5.0-7.5 MHz) was used for examining the major supply artery of the flap. At last, the modified flaps were transferred to cover the wounds. RESULTS: All the patients except one case completed the operation successfully. The cosmetic and function of the flaps were excellent. CONCLUSION: CDFI is a simple, direct and accurate method for detecting the supply artery of axial pattern flap. This technique should be popularized to avoid the blindness of flap design.
