Combination of two local flaps for large defects after breast conserving surgery
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 28, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
Jeeyeon Lee1, Youngtae Bae, Werner Audretsch
1Department of Surgery, Medical Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Purpose:
Oncoplastic surgery is a technique for wide excision of breast cancer without compromising the natural shape of the breast. We have combined two local flaps, referred to as a 'combined local flap', for large defects of the breast after a partial mastectomy.
Patients And Methods:
Twenty-one patients with breast cancer underwent a partial mastectomy with immediate reconstruction when the surgical margin was positive and further excision was required or the tumor size was larger than the pre-operative evaluation. Reconstruction was consisted of a rotational local flap and a thoraco-epigastric flap (TEF), so-called a combined local flap. The cosmetic results were self-estimated after chemotherapy and radiotherapy according to a four-point scoring system.
Results:
The mean age of patients was 53.3 years and the mean tumor size was 2.2 cm. The mean excised breast volume was 133.8 mm(3) and the percentage of excised volume was 20.4%. The cosmetic outcomes were judged as excellent, good, and fair in 11, 8, and 2 cases, respectively.
Conclusion:
The combined local flap, consisting of a rotational local flap and a TEF is a useful oncoplastic technique for large defects after breast-conserving surgery.
