Donor Site Morbidity in Unilateral and Bilateral Transverse Musculocutaneous Gracilis (TMG) Flap Breast Reconstruction: Sensation, Function, Aesthesis and Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Laura Cosima Siegwart, Anca Bolbos, Valentin Felix Haug, Yannick Fabian Diehm, Ulrich Kneser, Dimitra Kotsougiani-Fischer

Abstract read

PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Journal of clinical medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

4citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

Perforator Versus Non-perforator Flap for Perineal Reconstruction: Long-Term Comparison of Complications and Quality of Life.Annals of surgical oncology · 2026
Article
Thigh-based Breast Reconstruction: A Decade of Experience With the Diagonal Upper Gracilis Flap.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025
Article
The transverse upper gracilis flap for autologous breast reconstruction: patient satisfaction outcomes from a single centre experience.Gland surgery · 2023
Article
The Use of Closed Incision Negative Pressure Therapy on the Medial Thigh Donor Site in Transverse Musculocutaneous Gracilis Flap Breast Reconstruction.Journal of clinical medicine · 2022
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Laura Cosima SiegwartDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Anca BolbosDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Valentin Felix HaugDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Yannick Fabian DiehmDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Ulrich KneserDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-3402-2860

Dimitra Kotsougiani-FischerDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Microsurgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Hand and Plastic Surgery, University of Heidelberg, 67071 Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The transverse musculocutaneous gracilis (TMG) flap has become a popular choice for breast reconstruction. This study aimed to compare the donor site morbidity in unilateral and bilateral procedures. Patients receiving a TMG flap (January 2008-October 2019) were invited to a follow-up and grouped according to unilateral (UL group) or bilateral (BL group) breast reconstruction. Outcome criteria included sensation, function and aesthesis of the thighs. Patient-reported outcomes were surveyed using validated questionnaires. The number and kind of refinement procedures for aesthetic purposes on the donor thighs were evaluated. Thirty-eight patients with 59 TMG flaps were included in the study (UL group:

Indexed as

autologous breast reconstructionbreast cancerbreast reconstructiondonor site morbidityTMG flaptransverse musculocutaneous gracilis flap

Identifiers

PMID34768585

DOI10.3390/jcm10215066

PMCPMC8584688

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