Reconstructive surgery has become an integral part of primary breast cancer therapy in patients requiring total mastectomy. State-of-the-art reconstructions with autogenous tissue are transverse rectus abdominis (TRAM) flap procedures. Superior aesthetic results in terms of both appearance and consistency, seem to outweigh the disadvantages of impaired abdominal wall competence and donor site scars. The "free," microvascular TRAM flap may be the way to minimize abdominal wall weakness, since only a little portion of the rectus abdominis muscle must be sacrificed. Despite all discussions, breast reconstruction using silicone (gel) implants is a safe and reliable method and will be in the future. However, not every patient may be the right candidate for silicone reconstruction. Advantages of using silicone implants include (relatively) simple technique, short operation time, and no donor site morbidity. In patients suffering from breast-conserving therapy failures, plastic surgery has to address skin and parenchymal loss in an irradiated environment. Oncoplastic surgery, such as volume shrinking or volume replacement techniques, are useful for immediate reconstruction in breast-conserving therapy.

Breast Implants↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Experience in breast reconstruction with thoraco-epigastric and advancement flaps.

Experience with 192 breast reconstruction is reported. In patients with a horizontal scar, abdominal skin was advanced to cover the prosthesis. In patients with a vertical or oblique scar (76 cases) a medially based thoraco-epigastric flap was used. Preference was given to round or tear drop gel-filled implants. Two local recurrences were observed and could be treated successfully.

Abdomen↗