LOP11

The document presents the findings of a study comparing the outcomes of traditional costal cartilage harvest versus rib-sparing techniques in microsurgical breast reconstruction. A total of 291 patients underwent 469 reconstructions, with 63.1% (296) using the traditional method and 36.9% (173) using the rib-sparing approach. The study found that the rib-sparing technique resulted in a higher incidence of fat necrosis (10.4% vs. 3.0%) and hematoma (6.4% vs. 2.4%), but there was no significant difference in the need for postoperative breast revision, fat grafting, or flap loss. The rib-sparing method also reduced operating time. The conclusion suggests that while rib-sparing is feasible, it does not reduce the rate of postoperative revision or fat grafting and may lead to increased complications, indicating limited benefits of this technique.