Association of Preoperative Sarcopenia with Adverse Outcomes of Breast Reconstruction Using Deep Inferior Epigastric Artery Perforator Flap

Background Sarcopenia, defined as a significant loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is suggested to be associated with an increased risk of complications after various surgical interventions. However, evidence regarding sarcopenia in microsurgical breast reconstruction has been lacking. The present study was designed to evaluate the association between preoperative sarcopenia and adverse outcomes in deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap-based breast reconstruction. Methods Patients who underwent breast reconstruction using DIEP flap between 2009 and 2018 were reviewed. Sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal muscle index