Management and prevention of lumbar herniation following a latissimus dorsi flap

Lumbar herniation is a rare complication of flank surgery. We present a case of lumbar herniation that followed the mobilization of a latissimus dorsi flap for breast reconstruction. This is an unusual complication, which, to our knowledge, has only been presented twice in the literature. The roles of computed tomography for diagnosis and synthetic mesh for repair are discussed. The anatomy of the lumbar region is reviewed, and preventative measures are discussed.