Reconstructive Surgery

The Reconstructive Plastic Surgeons at McIndoe Surgical Centre (one of the largest breast reconstructive private hospitals in Western Europe), offer impartial and practical advice on all reconstructive techniques best suited to individuals’ needs. 

Although most breast care centres have associated specialist doctors and nurses they are often enormously overstretched and furthermore rarely have the ability to offer a full range of reconstructive opportunities.

 The McIndoe Surgical Centre specialises in TRAM and DIEP flaps for breast reconstruction. Free tissue flaps and skin grafting are used extensively in our surgical treatments.

• Oncoplastic surgery – small volume of breast tissue is removed and the remaining breast tissue is reshaped to create a satisfactory smaller breast form
• Fat taken from the lower part of the abdomen can be injected to fill out any resulting indentations
• Alternatively if there is adequate skin laxity on the chest a breast implant can simply be inserted underneath the pectoralis major muscle.
• If there is not enough skin it can be possible to use a tissue expander placed underneath the chest wall muscle and with gradual stretching over 3 months adequate skin can be developed and a breast implant used in a second operation
• Skin flap surgery for reconstructive purposes.  All 3 procedures are used as free flaps i.e. are taken from the body to include an artery and a vein.  These blood vessels are then reconnected to similar ones on the chest wall.
• LD flap – transferring a skin ellipse from the back, round under the arm to the front.  This is brought round and attached to the latismus dorsi muscle.  This flap can be combined with associated neighbouring fat, which may allow a small breast to be formed without the requirement for breast implant (extended LD flap).
• TRAM or DIEP flap – when there is a concern about the durability of implants (particularly when patients are subjected to radiotherapy), it is then preferable to use the patient’s own body tissue.  This can be taken from the lower abdomen (TRAM or DIEP flap) as part of a tummy tuck procedure. 
• ESCAP flap, taken from the buttock or the upper inner thigh