What Is Stacked Flap and Four-Flap Procedure?
Women with less body fat who want a natural large breast after a mastectomy often choose breast reconstruction called a stacked flap. This involves building a soft new breast from your own tissue without using any muscle. The flap or flaps, which will be folded or layered to form a new breast, will come from your lower abdomen or both sides of your waist, and possibly your buttocks or thighs. Occasionally tissue is combined from two donor sites on your body to perform a Four-Flap procedure (stacked flaps used to reconstruct both breasts). You can expect the best of care from our highly skilled team of surgeons, plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other experts. Our plastic surgeons are the most experienced microsurgery team in the state of Florida and perform more than 650 microsurgical procedures each year.
Is This Procedure Right for You?
You may be a candidate for this procedure if you are thin and don’t have enough body fat for tissue to be taken from your abdomen alone to do reconstruction of a sizeable breast. You also need blood vessels that are sufficiently large. With this procedure, you will be able to have a reconstructed breast from living tissue that looks and feels natural. Talk to your doctor to see whether this is an option for you.
Benefits and Risks
If tissue is taken from your stomach, waist or buttocks for this procedure, you might get a side benefit of a more contoured abdomen or buttocks lift. Your new breasts will be soft and filled with living tissue, not artificial devices that might leak or require replacement. Other benefits include:
- Self-sustaining. Blood vessels will be relocated to the new location to keep the rebuilt breasts healthy.
- Gain nipple sensation. Sensory nerves might be added too, with the goal of having some feeling in your new breasts.
- Muscle preservation. Your muscles will not be severed, minimizing pain and discomfort.
- Shorter recovery. You will have less pain with this microsurgery.
It’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions for preparing for surgery. If you receive the stacked flap on only one side, you might want revisional surgery later on your other breast to match the size and appearance. If you have any other medical issues, we will work with you to address them before surgery. Any surgery has risk, but we ensure that we minimize any potential issues.
What To Expect?
With this procedure, you will likely have a scar from hipbone to hipbone, generally below your bikini line so that it is low enough to be concealed by most clothing. Our compassionate team of specialists will provide you with excellent care before, during and after surgery. You’ll have general anesthesia during the surgery and a three-day stay before being discharged with detailed instructions on post-surgery care. You will have two or more surgical incisions and relocated abdominal, buttock or thigh tissue, fat, blood vessels and possibly nerves. Those parts of your body will need to heal and may have drains for two to four weeks. For a few weeks, you will focus on resting and slowly adding light activities. Most women can resume their normal daily routine after six to eight weeks and will regain their full strength and mobility within a year.
