Background: Abdominal wall vascularized composite allotransplantation (AW-VCA) is a novel reconstructive technique used for large abdominal wall defects in combination with intestinal transplantation (ITx) or multivisceral abdominal transplantation (MVTx). Since the introduction of this procedure, several studies have been published reporting their experience. This study aims to present a scoping review looking at all available evidence-based medicine information to understand the most current surgical techniques and clinical outcomes.
Methods: This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews checklist. A comprehensive research strategy of several databases was conducted.
Results: A total of 31 studies were included in this review, which comprised animal, cadaveric, and human studies. In human studies, four surgical techniques with high flap survival rates and low complication rates were found. In cadaveric studies, it was shown that the use of iliofemoral cuff-based flaps provided adequate tissue perfusion to the abdominal wall graft. Also, the use of thoracolumbar nerves have been described to provide functionality to the AW-VCA and prevent long-term muscle atrophy.
Conclusion: AW-VCA is a safe and efficient alternative for patients with large and complex abdominal wall defects. The future holds a promising evolution of a functional AW-VCA, though surgeons must face and overcome the challenge of distorted anatomy frequently present in this population. Forthcoming studies with a better level of evidence are required to evaluate functionality and differences between surgical techniques.
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