[Latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps in oncologic breast surgery. 101 cases]

The authors report their experience of the use of a latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in reparative surgery after total or partial mastectomy for invasive breast cancer. The series, including 101 cases, was separated into four groups on the basis of the context: I--thoracic radionecrosis (5 cases); II--chest wall cover (24 cases); III--immediate breast reconstruction (57 cases); deferred breast reconstruction (15 cases). The well-known vascular reliability of this pediculated flap was confirmed here by the low incidence of necrosis (3%), always marginal. Other complications were not attributable to the flap itself but to concomitant radiodystrophic skin lesions and the presence of the prosthetic implant in the case of breast reconstruction.