[Workhorse flaps for breast reconstruction]

Breast reconstruction is a crucial step in the treatment of breast cancer providing a durable solution for patients seeking to restore their physical and psychological integrity. If only part of the breast parenchyma is removed, local glandular flaps are used to restore breast shape and volume. After total mastectomy, when prosthetic reconstruction is contraindicated because of poor skin quality, distant flaps are preferred. Most of the time, two types of flaps are used: the pedicled myocutaneous latissimus dorsi flap and the deep inferior epigastric perforator (D.l.E.P.) free flap. The first flap is simple to execute and reliable, but requires some breast prosthetic material to add volume to the reconstruction. The second flap allows performing autologus reconstructions, providing a high quantity of supple tissues, while remaining a significantly more complex technique.