Reconstructive measures in local recurrence after breast saving therapy of breast cancer]

Local recurrence after breast preserving treatment of breast cancer will usually be treated by simple mastectomy. Safe immediate reconstruction is only possible by use of a musculocutaneous flap, the latissimus dorsi flap or better by the rectus abdominis musculocutaneous flap in it's vertical (VRAM) or transverse (TRAM) variation. As a sequel of the irradiation, one stage reconstruction with a simple submuscular implant or an expander prosthesis has a higher complication rate. Personal experience with 42 rectus flaps is reported. The rate of total necrosis was 5%, in one patient a late desmoid tumor was found in the donor area.