Usefulness of Lateral Thoracic Adipofascial Flaps After Breast-conserving Surgery in Small-to Moderate-sized Breasts

Background Women with small- to moderate-sized breasts present a specific challenge to performing oncoplastic volume-displacement techniques for reconstructing breast defects after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). In such cases, the lateral thoracic wall region serves as a versatile reconstruction donor site. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the effectiveness and feasibility of employing lateral thoracic adipofascial (LTA) flaps to reconstruct breast defects following BCS. Patients and Methods A total of 58 female patients who underwent BCS between February 2016 and April 2017 were analyzed. Of these, 33 patients were reconstructed with LTA flaps, and the other 25 patients received BCS only and were assigned as the control group. All patients were followed up, and we assessed surgery-related complications, breast appearance, and disease recurrence. Results The mean weight of the resected breast tissue was 65.9 g (range, 35-100 g). The mean volume of LTA flaps was 309.5 cm3 (range, 112.6-588 cm3). This oncoplastic technique was performed with minimal complications in all patients. Two patients exhibited partial adipose liquefaction (6.1%), and 2 patients manifested wound infections. Conclusions The LTA flaps were reliable and useful for reconstructing breast defects after BCS when the resected volume was confined to between 50 and 100 g, particularly in patients with small- to moderate-sized breasts. This is optimal for patients with lesions located in the upper-outer quadrant.