Rectus femoris muscle of the lower abdomen was used as myocutaneous flap in the reconstruction of the breast in 4 patients, of which, in 2 cases the reconstruction was carried out immediately following the radical mastectomy for breast cancer by using trancfer of the pedicled myocutaneous flap, and in the other two cases, the vascularized free myocutaneous flap was used 2 months and 5 years after the radical mastectomy, respectively. The vascularized free myocutaneous flaps were survived, however, in the pedicled myocutaneous flap group, the fat of the flaps had liquefaction 23 weeks after operation. The latter were healed after repeated dressings. The external appearance of the 4 reconstructed breasts lookedsattisfactory. The patients wete follwed up for 10 to 18 months, 2 patients hadno ill effects, while the 2 pedicled myocutaneous flaps, in which 1 patient hadbulging of the weakened abdominal wall, and the other had lost from follow up.
From 1985 through May of 1989, a total of 6 cases of breast carcinomas underwent primary reconstruction of breast immediately following radical mastectomy by using transposition of vaseularized latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap for reconstruction of breast. The re- sults of all these 6 cases were satisfactory. The design of the operation and the operative technique were detailed. The importance of the reconstruction of breast immediately after the radical mastectomy and the advantages of using vascularized latissimus dousi myocutanous flap for reconstruction were discussed.