Some women have their breasts reconstructed using the muscles, fat, and skin from their back. This is called a latissimus dorsi flap (LD flap). It has a high success rate and problems are rare.

Sometimes, an LD flap is used along with a breast implant to give a more natural feel than an implant alone. It may be used after conservative breast surgery if a large amount of breast tissue has been removed.

It is suitable for women who have one of the more common breast sizes, although it is not appropriate for women who have very large breasts. In general, the operation is also not appropriate for overweight women.

It can cause weakness in the back and shoulders at first, though this gets better with time. There may be some long-term weakness with certain movements, such as reaching above shoulder height. But women tend to recover their normal daily activities without any problem.