Procedures: PAP Flap

Using Tissue From the Upper Thigh to Reconstruct the Breasts

 

PAP (Profound Artery Perforator) flap breast reconstruction utilizes skin and fat from the upper thigh below the buttock. This area provides tissue that is ideal for shaping, excellent blood vessels to connect to the chest, and a donor site location that can decrease the likelihood of certain postoperative risks.

Depending on a patient’s preferences, this procedure can be performed in different ways. A PAP flap excised horizontally from the posterior upper thigh allows the donor site scarring to be hidden along the buttock crease but may not provide enough tissue. Excising the flap vertically or diagonally from the posterior inner thigh offers more tissue with more visible scarring.

As our third most commonly performed procedure, PAP reconstruction is an alternative to DIEP for women with minimal or inadequate abdominal tissue. 

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Want More Information? Read “Ask the Doctor” Blog Series Below:

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