[Abdominal repair after harvesting a rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap]

After reviewing the anatomy and physiology of the abdominal wall, the author discusses the variants of skin paddles and pedicles used in the various types of rectus abdominis flaps for mammary reconstruction. In the light of the literature and his personal experience, he analyses the various abdominal wall repair procedures and the abdominal wall and aesthetic sequelae.