Free Flap

This patient had a biopsy showing a large cancer of her right breast. She would need a mastectomy.

A flap of skin and fat is raised from the abdomen on a small segment of muscle.

This is the flap isolated on the vessels which will support it after transfer.

The microscope is used to prepare vessels to accept the flap transfer. It will then be used to reconnect the flap vessels to the "recipient" vessels on the chest.

This is the flap detached from the donor area.

This shows the vessels repaired in the armpit.

This is the patient's healed appearance after free flap reconstruction of her right breast and nipple/areolar creation.

2/21/00

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