Prevention of Unfavorable Effects of Cigarette Smoke on Flap Viability Using Botulinum Toxin in Random Pattern Flaps: An Experimental Study

    August 2015 in “ Plastic Surgery ”
    Hikmet Karayel, Burak Kaya, Muzaffer Çaydere, Ahmet Terzioğlu, Gürcan Aslan
    TLDR Botulinum toxin may help reduce skin flap damage caused by cigarette smoke.
    The study investigated whether botulinum toxin type A (BTX) could mitigate the negative effects of cigarette smoke (CS) on skin flap survival in rats. Twenty-eight male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: control, BTX, CS, and CS+BTX. The results showed that BTX significantly reduced the necrotic area in flaps exposed to CS (41.5% in the CS group vs. 26% in the CS+BTX group; P<0.001). Histopathological findings supported these results, indicating that BTX improved flap viability in the presence of CS. The study concluded that BTX could potentially reduce the risk of flap necrosis in smokers, warranting further human studies.
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