Breast Reconstruction

Microsurgery / Free Flaps

These are the most advanced and technically demanding breast reconstruction techniques available today. We are able to take spare tissue from different parts of your body, from areas where it won’t be missed, and utilize it to make a new breast. Using perforator flaps, only skin and fat will be removed, leaving your muscles intact. These are the best reconstructive options in terms of donor site morbidity and aesthetic appearance of the reconstructed breast.

The most common area to take tissue from is the abdomen. Like the TRAM flap, patients get a tummy tuck along with the reconstruction. However, ulike the TRAM, there will be no abdominal weakness following this procedure.

Other areas we can take tissue from include the buttocks (IGAP, SGAP), the inner thigh (Gracilis, TUG), and outer thigh (ALT). These can all create very nice breasts with relatively minor donor site morbidity.

Despite the superior aesthetic results of autologous free tissue transfers, the drawbacks to these procedures is the need to be hospitalized for several days. The flap needs to be monitored carefully during the post-operative period and there is always a risk of flap failure and the need to surgically re-explore the flap.  Overall, free tissue transfers have a success rate of 95-98%.