J Korean Soc Plast Reconstr Surg.  2006 May;33(3):294-287.

The Effects of Breast Reconstruction Using Latissimus Dorsi Myocutaneous Pedicled Flap for Lymphedema

• Park JM
• Heo J
• Ha JS
• Lee KC
• Kim SK
• Jo SH
• Lee KW

Abstract

Lymphedema is one of the most common complications of mastectomy. It decreases quality of life and causes functional or aesthetical problems in post-mastectomy patients. Axillary lymph needs dissection (ALND), and radiation therapy(RTx) is known as the representative factor of lymphedema. Authors discovered that breast reconstructions using latissimus dorsi(LD) myocutaneous flap decrease the incidence of lymphedema in spite of these risk factors. Therefore we compared the incidence of lymphedema between the patients who underwent breast reconstructoins by LD pedicled flap, and the patients who did not undergo breast reconstructions from January 2002 to December 2004. Lymphedema was diagnosed when difference of arm circumference was over 2cm or limitation of joint movement was greater than 20 degrees. Overall incidence of lymphedema was 14.0%, and it was 18.9% in case of ALND, and 21.1% in case of RTx, respectively. But the incidence of breast-reconstructed patients using LD pedicled flap was 3.3%. This result reveals that LD pedicled flap decreases incidence of lymphedema significantly. In the future, it is recommended to identify the causes of decrease in the incidence of lymphedema in case of breast reconstructed by LD myocutaneous pedicled flap, for example lymphoscintigraphy and so on.

Keyword

Lymphedema; Latissimus dorsi myocutaneous pedicled flap

MeSH Terms

Arm
Breast*
Female
Humans
Incidence
Joints
Lymphedema*
Lymphoscintigraphy
Mammaplasty*
Mastectomy
Myocutaneous Flap
Quality of Life
Risk Factors
Superficial Back Muscles*
Surgical Flaps*