[Research on the postoperative complications and its risk factors of breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps].
OBJECTIVE
To study the postoperative complications and its risk factors in patients underwent breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps.


METHODS
The clinical data of 115 cases underwent breast reconstructions with abdominal flaps from May 2001 to October 2008 was reviewed. The postoperative complications included total flap necrosis, partial flap necrosis, fat necrosis, hernia, bulge, fat liquefaction and infection. The risk factors of complication rates were also evaluated.


RESULTS
The total postoperative complications rate was 17.4% (20/115). No severe complications was found, such as total flap necrosis, hernia and bulge. The most common complications of flap was fat necrosis which occurred in 6 cases (5.2%), partial flap necrosis in 5 cases (4.3%) and infection in 1 case (0.9%). The donor-site complications included fat liquefaction which occurred in 8 cases (7.0%) and infection in 3 cases (2.6%). No significant relation was found between patient's age, body mass index (BMI), timing of surgery and the postoperative complication rate. The postoperative complications occurred more frequently in active smokers, patients with radiotherapy history, or reconstructions with pedicled transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flaps. But no significant difference was found in those factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Fewer complications happens in patients with a reconstruction with deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap. Abdominal flap should be performed with more consideration in active smokers or patients with a radiotherapy history. Age and obesity should not be contraindications to breast reconstruction with abdominal flaps.
Yin
Jian
J
Department of Breast, Cancer Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China. healthyin@medmail.com.cn
Zhang
Ting
T
Zhang
Xue-hui
XH
Li
Hai-xin
HX
Xiao
Chun-hua
CH
Cao
Xu-chen
XC
Zhang
Tian-hao
TH
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000009:adverse effects