The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of obesity on flap and donor-site complications in patients undergoing free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction. All patients undergoing breast reconstruction with free TRAM flaps at our institution from February 1, 1989, through May 31, 1998, were reviewed. Patients were divided into three groups based on...

PURPOSE To perform a retrospective cohort study to determine the rates of recall and cancer detection and then to develop a decision analytic model to evaluate the effectiveness of routine screening of transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was approved by the institutional review board, and the methods comply with HIPAA regulati...

BACKGROUND Breast reconstruction offers not only physical but also psychological rehabilitation. Autologous tissue transfer is a good option for breast reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the success rate, complications, and cosmetic outcomes following use of a muscle-sparing free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap for breast reconstruction. METHODS ...

We present a case of breast reconstruction using bilaterally divided transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flaps after the removal of severe siliconoma. In Japan, we have examined many patients who have had foreign substance injected into the breasts for augmentation. Most of these patients have had delayed complications. We believe that autologous tissue transfer is an ideal procedure f...

PURPOSE To review the role of free tissue transfer in reconstructive surgery following resection of high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas of the lower limb. METHODS Medical records of all consecutive patients with high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas of the lower limbs between August 1997 and September 2003 were reviewed. RESULTS Of 8 patients (6 women and 2 men) aged between 19 and 65 years, 4 had ma...

•The VRAM flap is commonly used for perineal and vaginal reconstruction at the time of pelvic exenteration.•Prolapse of the VRAM flap may be under reported.•We have shown successful repair of VRAM flap prolapse via an obliterative technique and sacral suspension.

BACKGROUND Chondrosarcoma arising from the sternum is extremely rare and is often untreatable. Removal of the sternum for malignant tumor results in large defects in bone and soft tissue, causing deformity and paradoxical movement of the chest wall and making subsequent repair of the thorax very important. We report a very rare patient with a chondrosarcoma of the sternum who underwent case che...