Comparison of Autologous Breast Reconstruction in East Asian Patients of Childbearing Age: Profunda Artery Perforator Flap versus Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap.

[BACKGROUND] East Asian patients of childbearing age have relatively lower body mass index (BMI) and tighter breasts than Western patients have. The aim of this study was to compare autologous breast reconstruction between the DIEP flap and PAP flap in these populations.

[METHODS] A total of 28 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed. Patient age, BMI, laterality, expansion period, type of operation, operation time, resection volume in mastectomy, harvested flap volume, flap volume, flap vessel diameters, inpatient days, early postoperative complications, and late revision surgeries were analyzed.

[RESULTS] The surgical procedures included nine DIEP reconstructions and 21 PAP flap reconstructions. The average age of the subjects in the DIEP and PAP flap populations was 45.6 ± 3.80 and 43.5 ± 5.05, respectively (p = 0.27). Their average BMI of DIEP and PAP flap population was 22.7 ± 2.56 and 20.0 ± 1.82, respectively (p < 0.05). According to the perioperative characteristics, harvested flap volume and transferred flap volume in DIEP flap were greater than those in PAP flap significantly (553.6 ± 169.0 g vs 261.0 ± 69.5 g, p < 0.01; 434.6 ± 170.0 g vs 238.9 ± 62.6 g, p < 0.01, respectively). In the transferred flap volume/BMI index ratio, DIEP was significantly higher than PAP significantly (19.4 ± 6.99 g vs 12.2 ± 2.70 g, p < 0.05).

[CONCLUSION] The PAP flap provides enough volume for autologous breast reconstruction in most East Asian patients of childbearing age.

[LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV] This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .