Microvascular DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction

Abstract

The breast reCQnstruction has been proposed since the beginning of the century by precursor authors (Nelaton C 1906), however it took its real place in current practice only since dozen years with the appearance of the musculocutaneous flaps.

Many techniques appeared, the goal of which was to improve the esthetic results, to decrease the complications and the failures of breast reconstruction, Among these techniques the free flaps had a badly defined place, but the importance of which increased over the last years (many recent publications). It indeed offer a broad choice of donor sites for the patient and Jor the surgeon which enables to obtain a natural breast shape because of the autologuous transfer, without the constraints of distance imposed by pedicled flaps.

The techniques of breast reconstruction brackets generally with sequelies of the treatment <_Jf the canc rbre_il$t, bu!_they can be utilized for the congenital mammary deficits (syndrome of Poland) (Longaker et al., 1997), traumatic (major bums involving breast area), post infectious sequeiie (mastitis of childhood).