Background: Patients undergoing bilateral autologous breast reconstruction may benefit from increased flap volume using bilateral stacked deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) and profunda artery perforator (PAP) flaps. Our aim was to characterize the donor site morbidity and patient-reported outcomes in four-flap breast reconstruction. Methods: Retrospective review was performed for all patients undergoing four-flap breast reconstruction by two surgeons between January 2010 and September 2021. Outcome measures including the BREAST-Q reconstructive module, the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), inpatient surgical site pain scores by numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and a postoperative subjective survey comparing donor sites were obtained. Four-flap BREAST-Q scores were compared with bilateral DIEP and bilateral PAP patients. Results: A total of 79 patients undergoing four-flap breast reconstruction were identified. Four-flap BREAST-Q scores (n = 56) were similar to bilateral DIEP and bilateral PAP reconstruction patients. Long-term survey outcomes from the LEFS demonstrated improved score trend after 6 months. Mean instances of donor site pain location recorded at the abdomen were significantly higher than the thigh during the postoperative admission. Subjective survey data revealed more long-term donor site pain at the PAP site, a patient preference for the DIEP donor site, and easier postoperative care for the DIEP donor site. Conclusions: This is the largest consecutive series of four-flap breast reconstruction outcomes reported to date. BREAST-Q scores in four-flap patients demonstrate overall patient satisfaction that is similar to both bilateral DIEP and bilateral PAP reconstruction patients. The DIEP donor site appears to be preferred by patients over the PAP donor site.
Background: The aim of this study was to seek evidence that patients with darker Fitzpatrick score skin tones are more susceptible to flap loss due to unsalvaged vascular compromise in autologous flap breast reconstruction. Methods: This is a retrospective study conducted on patients who underwent any type of autologous flap breast reconstruction performed by the two senior authors at an academic center between January 2010 and December 2021. The sole primary outcome variable was flap loss. Patient skin tone was assessed using the Fitzpatrick scale on clinical photographs of patients. Results: A total of 1115 pateints underwent autologous flap breast reconstruction, of which only 56 met both exclusion and inclusion criteria with 58 individual breasts being included in the final study population. The most common race of subjects was White (n = 33; 56.9%) while the most common Fitzpatrick score skin tone was type II (n = 22; 37.9%). The Cochran-Armitage test of trend showed a statistically significant linear trend, P = 0.006, with darker Fitzpatrick score skin tones associated with a higher proportion of flap loss in patients who had vascular compromise. A logistic regression showed that none of the predictor variables were significant. Conclusions: Patients with darker Fitzpatrick skin tones were associated with flap loss after vascular compromise. To prevent flap loss in patients who have darker Fitzpatrick score skin tones, more aggressive flap monitoring should be taken into consideration in the immediate postoperative setting.
HC, whereas manufacturer B filled 19.1-cm HC. 4 Physiological factors, such as variance of breast shape, tissue density, and degree of ptosis, can also make
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