Determining the best recipient vessel site for autologous microsurgical breast reconstruction with DIEP flaps: an anatomical study

The deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP) flap is a reliable and reproducible technique for autologous microsurgical breast reconstruction. Several recipient vessels sites for microvascular anastomosis have been described: the internal thoracic vessels, the thoracodorsal vessels and the circumflex scapular vessels. Nonetheless, the choice of the recipient site depends mainly on individual operator's experience and preferences, and currently the best recipient vessel site is still debated. The aim of this anatomical observational study was to determine whether anatomy could address this dilemma by determining the best vessel diameter to match the donor with these 3 recipient sites.

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