Breast Reconstruction Patients Educational Brochure - Mentor

37place to create the new breast. This is called a “pedicle” TRAM flap procedure. It usuallytakes 3 to 6 hours in surgery to complete.The other possibility is a “free” TRAM flap. In this case, the tissue is taken from yourabdomen and the blood supply is cut. The flap is taken off completely from your tummy andthen relocated and sutured in place to create the new breast. The doctor must reconnectblood vessels at the breast site. This is a very involved procedure: your surgeon will need touse a microscope to do it and it usually takes longer than a pedicle TRAM flap procedure.Your surgical team may ask a surgeon who specializes in surgery using a microscope toreconnect blood vessels to do that part of your procedure (a vascular surgeon). You may needto have a blood transfusion during or after a free TRAM flap procedure.Figure 3Breast Reconstruction Using a TRAM FlapPost-Mastectomy TRAM Flap Final Resultbefore nipple/areolareconstructionLatissimus Dorsi FlapBreast reconstruction using a latissimus dorsi flap is illustrated in Figure 4 below. Duringa latissimus dorsi flap reconstruction, a section of tissue [skin, fat, connective tissue,and vascular (blood vessels) tissue] is taken from your back. A latissimus dorsi flap isusually smaller than a TRAM flap, so this procedure may be better for a woman withsmaller breasts. The latissimus dorsi flap procedure usually takes 2 to 4 hours of surgery.It is done in a hospital under general anesthesia. Most patients can resume their normalactivities after 2 to 3 weeks.