PAP (Thigh) Flap

 PAP (Thigh) Flaps

Patients that are not candidates for abdominal-based flaps from prior surgery or inadequate volume available are often candidates for flaps created from the medial thigh. The PAP (Profunda Artery Perforator) flap uses excess tissue from the inner aspect of the thigh to restore the breast. We use the principles of medial thigh lift in order to optimize the contour of the inner aspect of your leg.

There are 2 major orientations of the flap that can be used depending on the position of the best blood vessels that provide vascularity to the inner thigh skin and fat. The transverse PAP (t-PAP) aims to hide the incision in the gluteal crease while the vertical PAP (v-PAP) will locate the incision at the transition between the front and the back of the leg.

What to expect after a PAP flap:

A hospital stay of 2 nights for unilateral (one breast) and 3 nights for bilateral (two breasts) procedures is the norm. Patients should refrain from strenuous activities for 4-6 weeks. Compression dressing will be used to optimize healing. Discomfort is well controlled by the use of long-acting local anesthetic and nerve blocks. Patients can usually be back to drive at 2 weeks and to work at 3 weeks.