TMG/PAP Flap
Anaesthetic
General anaesthetic
Surgery Time
6 Hours
Drains
Yes
Recovery garments
Surgical bra and compression shorts
Hospital stay
3-5 nights
Follow-up
1 week and 2 weeks after discharge
Return to desk-based work
2-3 weeks
Return to driving
4 weeks
Return to sport
6-8 weeks
TMG/PAP Flap
For those women in whom a DIEP flap is not an option there are other options available for reconstruction using your own tissues. A popular second line option for breast reconstruction is to take excess skin and fat from the thigh (either middle thigh or back of your thigh) with either a transverse myocutaneous gracilis (TMG) or profunda artery perforator (PAP) flap. These options are most commonly used in slim women who have insufficient tissue around their tummy or women have previously had a tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) or a failed DIEP flap.