Louis Ombredanne and the origin of muscle flap use for immediate breast mound reconstruction.

Abstract

The myocutaneous flaps that are being used for breast reconstruction have a long history, although the techniques of today are more sophisticated than those of the past. Louis Ombredanne was the first to describe the pectoralis muscle flap for immediate breast mound reconstruction in 1906. Mastectomy, as performed by Halstead, is described with some insight into the reasons why breast reconstruction was not encouraged in this country in the early part of this century. Lately, the advances in the myocutaneous flap have made breast reconstruction without a prosthesis possible. The tissue that was transferred to reconstruct a breast using a tubed pedicle flap in multiple stages can now be transferred in a single stage with a better result.