Table 3.

Pooled Complication Rates for fTRAM versus DIEP Flaps

Outcomes	Studies, N	DIEP		fTRAM		Effect Size	95% CI	I2
		No. Events	No. Patients	No. Events	No. Patients
Total or partial flap loss	8	73	1083	50	1401	2.67	1.00 to 4.34	87.62%
Without obese patients	7	68	978	45	1101	2.64	0.83 to 4.45	88.57%
Muscle-sparing only	4	65	899	21	632	1.93	0.26 to 3.61	87.57%
		fTRAM		DIEP
Outcomes	Studies, N	No. Events	No. Patients	No. Events	No. Patients	Effect Size	95% CI	I2
Mastectomy skin flap necrosis	4	154	604	58	235	0.96	−1.31 to 3.28	0
Without obese patients	3	28	304	8	130	1.03	−1.71 to 3.77	0
Fat necrosis (breast)	7	133	1430	143	1065	0.80	−0.83 to 2.44	0
Without obese patients	6	125	1130	133	960	0.89	−0.88 to 2.66	0
Muscle-sparing only	4	67	684	126	899	0.83	−1.32 to 2.98	0
Infection (breast)	5	63	1041	47	905	2.60	0.54 to 4.65	71.51%
Without obese patients	4	51	741	44	800	2.93	0.61 to 5.26	78.60%
Muscle-sparing only	2	42	560	45	364	2.10	−1.04 to 5.23	70.20%
Hematoma/seroma (breast)	5	55	1041	72	905	0.80	−1.20 to 2.80	15.91%
Without obese patients	4	48	741	68	800	0.85	−1.40 to 3.10	36.80%
Muscle-sparing only	2	25	560	41	364	0.43	−2.59 to 3.46	0
Wound healing complications, any (breast)	3	132	582	52	217	0.93	−1.74 to 3.59	0
Without obese patients	2	6	282	2	112	0.96	−2.49 to 4.40	0
Abdominal bulge/hernia	9	94	1253	40	1030	2.87	1.73 to 4.00	70.48%
Without obese patients	8	76	953	39	925	2.35	1.49 to 3.21	41.44%
Muscle-sparing only	5	56	612	36	855	2.55	1.42 to 3.67	62.83%