Women who have reconstruction with a Lat flap have a flap of muscle and skin freed from their back. (The back muscle that is used is called the "latissimus dorsi" muscle.) After freeing the flap, surgeons tunnel it under the skin, around the armpit, and over to the chest. Then they attach the flap to the chest so that it becomes the new breast. Usually, they also put an implant under the muscle layer, so that the new breast can match the other one in size. Later, surgeons can also reconstruct a nipple.
