She will need to wait at least one month before resuming any strenuous activities. Reconstruction with Own Tissues Breast reconstruction can be done using skin, muscle and fat taken from another part of the body. This tissue transfer is called a myo-cutaneous flap, or simply, a flap. It is a complicated procedure, but can result in the most natural-looking reconstructions, and avoids placing foreign materials into your body. A nipple can be created at the same time, or during a future procedure.
Flaps cause pain both at the donor site and in the breast area.
Removal of muscles from their original position can cause pain and weakness, or rarely, a hernia in the donor area. The muscle, fat and skin with existing blood supply are pulled up to the breast area, and shaped into the form of a breast. The TRAM flap is the most versatile of the tissue flaps, and can usually create a good match to the other breast for all but the largest-breasted women. No implant is required as is often the case for the latissimus dorsi flap. This procedure moves the latissimus dorsi muscle from the upper back to create a new breast form.