ABSTRACT
During a 25-month period, ten patients underwent post-oncologic breast reconstruction
with innervated TRAM flaps. All patients were noted to have a more rapid and full
return of sensation by the modalities tested than has been reported among patients
with non-innervated TRAM-flap reconstructions. No complications relating to the microneural
surgery were noted. Three patients experienced complications common to TRAM flaps
in general: specifically, these were skin-flap necrosis in the cutaneous portion of
one flap, skin necrosis of the infraumbilical skin flap at the closure site, and abdominal
bulging at the donor area. Given the minimal increase in operating time required for
the completion of the innervated TRAM-flap reconstruction and the obvious benefits
in terms of postoperative sensation, this seems potentially to be an important modification
to what is already a well-established technique.
KEYWORD
Innervated TRAM flap - sensory breast reconstruction
