Flap Reconstruction

A flap reconstruction may be the best option for patients who wish to have breast reconstruction without implants. This method creates a breast mound with tissue “borrowed” from another part of your body. Breast reconstruction with a flap of your own tissues is an excellent option for women who wish to avoid the use of foreign materials.

Breasts reconstructed with tissue are soft and have a more natural shape. However, the surgery will leave a new scar at the site of the borrowed tissue. Although tissue reconstruction involves a longer and more complicated procedure initially, a breast reconstructed with body tissue ages much more like a natural breast and is less likely to require maintenance as you age.

A number of “donor” sites are available for breast reconstruction. Tissue can be taken from the abdomen (TRAM flap breast reconstruction), or from the upper back (latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction), in order to reconstruct the breast. Because the back muscle is close to the chest area, the muscle and skin flap can often remain attached to its own blood supply, resulting in a quicker recovery than when tissue is taken from other areas and must be removed from its blood supply. Both flap breast reconstruction methods may also be combined with breast implants to achieve the desired shape and appropriate size match.

Flap Reconstruction – Contact Dr. Glatt in New Jersey