Esthetic outcome of immediate reconstruction with latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap after breast-conservative surgery and skin-sparing mastectomy

With the recent advances in oncologic breast surgery, breast reconstruction with the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous (LDM) flap without an implant has become a good option among other autologous tissue reconstructions available. However, only a few large-scale studies have so far evaluated the critical factors affecting its esthetic outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed 97 consecutive patients who underwent breast reconstruction with the LDM flap between 2001 and 2005 at our institution. The esthetic outcome in comparison with the normal breast was evaluated by means of observer assessment consisting of 7 criteria. A stratified analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting the esthetic outcomes after the breast-conservative surgery and skin-sparing mastectomy. We found that reconstruction of the lower half of the breast and exposure of the skin paddle resulted in poor esthetic outcomes after breast-conservative surgery. Large preoperative brassiere cup size, radiation history, axillary node dissection, and exposure of the skin paddle were the factors which negatively affected the overall outcomes after skin-sparing mastectomy. Age, body mass index, presence of nipple areola-complex defect, or design of skin paddle did not affect the esthetic outcomes. On the basis of these critical factors, we could determine the indications and limitations of breast reconstruction with LDM flap. In some cases, further technical modifications are still warranted, and we believe that these modifications will optimize the use of this flap in breast reconstruction.