IGAP flap breast reconstruction is an optimal treatment option for women who are thin and do not have enough abdominal tissue for DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Most all women have enough buttock tissue to enable IGAP flap breast reconstruction to be a treatment option following mastectomy.
When is IGAP flap breast reconstruction not recommended?
For patients who have had previous IGAP or SGAP flap breast reconstruction, a previous buttock lift, or buttock liposuction, IGAP flap breast reconstruction is not a treatment option. IGAP flap also is not an option if the patient smokes since it will take longer to heal or the tissue may not heal effectively.
When is the best treatment time for IGAP flap breast reconstruction?
Depending on the patient’s individual treatment plan, IGAP flap breast reconstruction can be immediate during the breast surgery or delayed until after surgery and chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments are complete.
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