Types of tissue flap surgery
The two main methods used for flap surgery are pedicled flap surgery and free flap surgery. Pedicle flap surgery involves transferring tissue from a patient’s back or abdomen without cutting all of the blood vessels. Instead, our Gainesville plastic surgeon pulls the tissue underneath the skin until it reaches the chest and then secures it at the new site.
During free flap surgery, the surgeon cuts all of the blood vessels and then sews the flap to blood vessels in the chest. There are multiple reconstruction options when it comes to types of breast flap techniques. Each is named for the donor site from which the tissue is removed.
Benefits of flap reconstruction
There are numerous benefits to undergoing breast reconstruction after mastectomy with the breast flap procedure. Fat transfer breast augmentation results in breasts that both appear and feel natural, making this procedure an ideal option for patients that seek large-size breasts that are soft to the touch.
With flaps, newly reconstructed breasts also tend to age in harmony with the rest of the body. In addition, flap surgery does not require that patients undergo additional procedures to adjust their reconstructed breasts, as with saline or silicone implants.
Learn more about deciding on saline or silicone implants.