Vertically Set Sombrero-shaped Abdominal Flap for Asian Breast Reconstruction after Skin-sparing Mastectomy

Background: Immediate autologous breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy is an esthetically superior method, and a free abdominal flap is often used. However, in Asian patients, little redundant abdominal skin and thin subcutaneous tissue are common, necessitating the development of a more suitable flap design and setting. We devised a narrow flap, the sombrero-shaped flap (S-flap), set vertically, to reduce postoperative abdominal morbidity without sacrificing cosmetic results. Methods: To assess this new flap design and setting, the recipient- and donor-site complications of consecutive patients treated by S-flap (n = 40) and conventional flap (C-flap) (n = 22) were retrospectively investigated. Postoperative abdominal pain, stiffness, and patient activity were also assessed in each group with our original grading scale. Results: Compared with the C-flap group, the S-flap group had a significantly lower skin paddle vertical height (mean, 14.0 and 10.2 cm, respectively; P

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