[Current trends and indications in post-mastectomy breast reconstruction]

Breast reconstruction should not be limited to the requiring patients, but should represent, in selected cases with favourable prognosis, an integrative and complementary procedure of the treatment. On the basis of the most important prognostic factors, the authors propose an oncologic-reconstructive protocol and consider how many patients in the Ospedale Maggiore of Parma in a sample year could be candidate for routine breast reconstruction. Finally the main surgical techniques employed in breast reconstruction are reviewed.