Somatom definition as 64 slice

We examined 121 sides from 70 women scheduled for breast reconstruction with free lower abdominal skin flaps who underwent preoperative MDCT scan at our hospital between June 2008 and June 2015. The study was performed with the approval of our institutional review board, and patients provided informed consent for this. For primary reconstruction, we examined both sides, and for 1-sided secondary reconstruction, we examined only the unaffected side. We excluded cases in which there was a history of irradiation at the target site or when past surgical stress was suspected. All MDCT scans were obtained at the same facility (Kobe Cardiovascular Clinic) using a CT device (Siemens SOMATOM Definition, AS+, 64-slice, Siemens 1-11-1 Osaki, Shinagawaku, Tokyo, Japan). The same scanning conditions were set for all cases (Table 1), and scanning began after spraying the oral cavity with a nitrous acid agent. We observed both early arterial phase and late venous phase images in 5-mm slice thickness/5-mm slice interval horizontal, cross-sectional images and volume-rendering images of the chest wall, and we recorded the perforation sites and thicknesses in the intercostal spaces of the internal thoracic arteriovenous perforating branches, the differences in thickness for the internal thoracic arteries and veins, and perforating branch position symmetry in cases involving both sides.