Transposition flap for the oncoplastic reconstruction of outer quadrant breast defects

Abstract

Plastic surgical principles are incorporated with breast conservation surgery (BCS) for cancer to improve aesthetic outcomes. In developing countries, average tumour size is larger at presentation resulting in larger resections often, including overlying skin. LD flap has been the workhorse of partial breast reconstruction. We present an easy and effective alternative to LD flap for carefully selected cases of outer quadrant breast tumours. We report 41 cases of local transposition flap from the lateral chest wall for oncoplastic restoration post BCS, performed between January 2016 and February 2020, at our institution. The median age was 49 years (28-63). Twenty-six patients underwent upfront surgery and 15 after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The average pathological tumour size was 2.9 cm (median 2.7 and range 1.1-6) and 1.5 cm (median 1.8 and range 0-3.5) for upfront and post-NACT groups, respectively. The median volume of the resected specimen was 277.8 ml and 253.2 ml for upfront and post-NACT groups, respectively. Three patients (7.5%) had a microscopic positive margin requiring margin revision. Three (7.5%) patients had post-operative minor wound complications and were managed conservatively. At a median follow-up of 14 months (1-36), only 2/19 (10.5%) patients had clinical fat necrosis. Local transposition flap from the lateral chest wall based on dermal and subdermal plexus, carefully designed in selected patients, can be used effectively for the reconstruction of outer quadrant breast defects. It is easy to learn, offers good cosmetic outcome, avoids the morbidity and time of LD flap and saves LD flap for future use.

Keywords: Breast conservation surgery; Oncoplastic breast surgery; Transposition flap.