Thermal imaging detects infrared radiation from an object, producing a thermogram that can be interpreted as a surrogate marker for cutaneous blood flow. To date, high-resolution cameras typically cost tens of thousands of dollars. The FLIR ONE is a smartphone-compatible miniature thermal imaging camera that currently retails at under $200. In a proof-of-concept study, patients and healthy volunteers were assessed with thermal imaging for (1) detecting and mapping perforators, (2) defining perforasomes, and (3) monitoring free flaps. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative thermograms can assist in the planning, execution, and monitoring of free flaps, and the FLIR ONE provides a low-cost adjunct that could be applied to other areas of burns and plastic surgery.

With pooled proportions of complications from over 6600 patients over a 10-year period, a standard may be set for outcomes after single-stage primary hypospadias repair for surgeons to audit their own outcomes against.

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