Abdominal wall strength, bulging, and @entity547 after XXXX flap breast reconstruction.

@entity1 @entity20231 @entity547
The incidence of postoperative abdominal bulge, @entity547 , and the ability to do sit-ups was reviewed in a series of 268 @entity1 who had undergone free @entity20231 (FTRAM) or conventional @entity20231 (CTRAM) flap breast reconstruction. Minimum follow-up was 6 months. @entity1 were divided into four groups: unilateral FTRAM (FT1P; n = 123), double-pedicle bilateral FTRAM (FT2P; n = 45), single-pedicle CTRAM (CT1P; n = 40), and double-pedicle or bilateral CTRAM (CT2P; n = 60). The incidence of abdominal bulges (3.8 percent) and @entity547 (2.6 percent) was similar in the four groups. Synthetic mesh, however, was required for reinforcement of donor site closure twice as often in the CTRAM @entity1 . The ability to perform sit-ups was greatest in the FT1P group (63.0 percent), slightly lower in the CT1P group (57.1 percent), still lower in the FT2P group (46.2 percent), and lowest in the CT2P group (27.1 percent; p = 0.0005). @entity1 reconstructed with an FTRAM flap were more likely to be able to do sit-ups (58.3 percent) than were those reconstructed with a CTRAM flap (38.2 percent; p = 0.0074). @entity1 who had only one muscle pedicle used were more likely to be able to do sit-ups (61.7 percent) than were those who had two muscle pedicles used (35.6 percent; p = 0.0003). We conclude that the incidence of abdominal bulge or @entity547 is relatively independent of the type of @entity20231 flap used and the number of muscle pedicles harvested. On the other hand, postoperative abdominal strength, as measured by the ability do sit-ups, is influenced significantly by both of these factors.
