SURGICAL PROCEDURES
Flap Surgery (Available Upon Request)
Overview
Flap surgery is the surgical transfer of tissue along with its blood supply to an area that needs to be repaired after a traumatic injury or cancer. The transplanted tissue is attached to a new blood supply in the region to regain the functionality of that particular area of the body.
Procedure
Common flap procedures involve reconstructing the breasts after significant tissue damage due to breast cancer. As a result, tissue from the thighs, buttock or abdomen is transplanted to the breasts to increase the size, volume and symmetry.
Breast flap procedures:
Flaps of the stomach
A transverse rectus abdominal muscle (TRAM) flap involves tunnelling the flap along with its blood supply beneath the skin to the chest.
A TRAM flap (free) is the transfer of tissue and muscle of the lower abdomen to the chest. The flap is then reconnected to a new blood supply.
A muscle-preserving TRAM free flap involves the partial removal of the lower stomach’s muscle and the transfer of the portion to the chest.
A deep inferior epigastric perforator, DIEP free flap, takes muscle and skin in the same region as the TRAM flap to remodel the breasts.
A superficial inferior epigastric artery, SIEA free flap, makes use of similar tissues used in the DIEP and TRAM flaps. However, different blood vessels are made use of. The surgeon utilises shallow (superficial) blood vessels.
Free flaps of the back
A latissimus dorsi (LD) flap involves using back tissue to re-sculpt the breasts, primarily due to the significant amount of tissue lost during cancer removal surgery. The upper back’s muscle, skin, fat and blood vessels are tunnelled to the front of the chest to make up the breasts.
A thoracodorsal artery perforator (TDAP) flap is a procedure that involves the retrieval of the upper back's fat and skin, not including muscle, to reconstruct the breast mound.
A lumbar artery perforator (LAP) flap makes use of fat, skin and blood vessels of the lower back (love handles) when there is not enough tissue to remove from the abdominal region to recreate the breasts.
Flaps of the buttock
A gluteal free flap, also known as a GAP flap, involves removing buttock tissue to redevelop the breasts. Women who have too flat tummies only qualify for GAP flap when there is not much tissue to retrieve from the thighs or stomach.
A superior gluteal artery perforator (SGAP) flap differs from an inferior gluteal artery perforator flap (IGAP flap) because the artery in the upper part of the buttocks is used instead of the artery in the lower part like the one used in an IGAP free flap.
Flaps of the thigh
An upper Gracilis flap is the surgical dissection of the fat, skin anda portion of the Gracilis muscle to remake the breasts.
A Profunda artery perforator, PAP flap, is the removal of only the thigh's skin and fat, but the muscle is left intact.
The LTP flap, lateral thigh perforator flap, is popular by name as the "saddlebag" flap, whereby the surgeon removes fat, skin and residual tissue instead of muscle and transfers this from the top part of the outer thigh and upper section of the buttock to the chest.
Recovery
Usually, within eight weeks, you can return to normal activities. The recovery time would be faster if implants were used instead of the free flap. Typically, a compression girdle is worn for eight weeks to protect the reconstructive site.