Table 2.

Different intraoperative uses of thermography.

The surgical step	Expected findings	Importance
1- Before skin incision	Location of different perforators	Identification of exact location of perforators that helps to accelerate the flap harvest procedure
2- After suprafascial dissection of selected perforators	One perforator is hotter than the others. Different ways to determine that: 1)Comparing the surface temperature of each perforator 2)DIRT (cold challenge) technique 3)The pattern of perfusion when the flap is based on each perforator using the clamping/unclamping method	Identification of the dominant perforator
3- Assessment of the flap perfusion when based on the dominant perforator	Areas of good perfusion, poor perfusion, and no perfusion	Multiple surgical decisions can be made: 1)The appropriate flap size 2)Removal of the nonperfused areas of the flap 3)Perfusion pattern will give an idea whether a bipedicled flap is needed or the perfusion provided through a single pedicle is sufficient
4- Assessment of flap perfusion after anastomosis and flap inset	Pattern of flap reperfusion	Identification of early vascular compromise of the pedicle/pedicle kinking or excessive compression