Breast reconstruction using the anterior approach scarless latissimus dorsi muscular flap: A single center retrospective study

Introduction: Scarless latissimus dorsi (LD) flap is a breast recon- struction technique, which allow to cover the lower pole of im- plant with a large portion of the LD muscle without skin paddle; it represents a surgical solution that transpose vascularized tissue avoiding the failure of breast reconstruction, following necrosis of mastectomy skin flaps. Material and Method: A retrospective review of patients undergo- ing immediate or delayed breast reconstruction using scarless LD flap reconstructions was performed. Clinical data obtained from follow-up visits were recorded. To evaluate breast shape content- ment and patient satisfaction, the patients were requested to an- swer the Breast-Q, version 2.0 reduction module postoperative scales questionnaire at the 12-month follow-up. Results: We performed 19 scarless LD flap reconstructions between September 2019 and June 2022. The surgical time in average (con- sidering minutes ± SD) was 130 ( ±15) minutes. The aesthetic as- sessment was good/excellent in 83% of patients. This was statisti- cally significant (P = 0.0). Conclusions: The scarless LD flap reconstruction is a valid and re- liable solution, which has the advantage to reduce the risk of ex- posed prosthesis if native skin necrosis occurs.