Dr. Li's Signature Technique

The Bra-Line Back Lift LAT Flap

Breast reconstruction with the scar hidden along your bra line.

What is the bra-line back lift latissimus flap?

The bra-line back lift latissimus flap (BLBL-LAT) is Dr. Wai-Yee Li's refinement of latissimus flap breast reconstruction. Instead of the traditional diagonal back scar, she orients the scar horizontally along the bra line, where it stays hidden in most cases — and when there are excess back rolls, she can remove them in the same operation.

The problem with the traditional flap

Latissimus flap reconstruction rebuilds the breast using skin and muscle from the back. It is reliable — but performed the traditional way, it leaves a diagonal (“oblique”) scar across the back that a bra cannot cover.

Her innovation: the bra-line back lift LAT flap

Over the past ten years, Dr. Li refined the technique by orienting the back scar horizontally, along the bra line — where, in most cases, it stays hidden. Because the incision follows the bra line, in patients with excess “back rolls” she can extend it slightly to remove them at the same time, in a single surgery.

Healed bra-line scar, oriented horizontally along the bra line — The scar sits horizontally along the bra line.

Bra-line scar concealed under a bra — In most cases it is covered by a bra.

How it works

The latissimus flap can be performed on its own — a fully autologous reconstruction using only your own tissue — when there is enough back tissue. More often it is combined with an implant to add volume and upper-pole fullness for a more youthful result.

Why patients choose Dr. Li

Dr. Li has spent a decade refining the bra-line back lift LAT flap across immediate and delayed reconstructions. A board-certified plastic surgeon (MD, PhD, FACS), she developed this approach to give patients a reconstruction they do not have to hide.

Before & after

A 40-year-old woman with a BRCA2 mutation and prior left chest-wall radiation desired reconstruction after bilateral mastectomy. Dr. Li performed a right sub-pectoral implant and a left bra-line back lift latissimus flap (BLBL-LAT) with implant in a single surgery — the scars hidden along the bra line.

A 45-year-old woman with recurrent left breast cancer had a double mastectomy with right implant reconstruction and left chest-wall radiation. Dr. Li performed a left latissimus flap with implant, followed by nipple-areola reconstruction and 3D tattooing.

This 64-year-old patient first met Dr. Li 10 years ago after breast cancer treatment that included lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. After her reconstruction was delayed for many years by complications and life circumstances, she returned to complete her journey: a left delayed reconstruction with a pedicled latissimus flap, direct-to-implant, with a right breast lift for symmetry — restoring a natural breast shape and helping her feel whole again.

See the full bra-line back lift LAT flap gallery › · How the flap procedure works ›

Frequently asked questions

Where is the scar?

Along the bra line, oriented horizontally, so it stays hidden in most cases — unlike the traditional diagonal latissimus scar.

Can it remove back rolls?

Yes. When excess back rolls are present, Dr. Li can extend the bra-line incision to remove them during the same surgery.

Do I need an implant?

Not necessarily. The latissimus flap can be fully autologous when there is enough back tissue, or combined with an implant for more volume and upper-pole fullness.

How is this different from a standard latissimus flap?

The scar orientation. Dr. Li places it horizontally along the bra line rather than diagonally across the back, and can address back rolls at the same time.

Why choose Dr. Li for this procedure?

She has refined the bra-line back lift LAT flap over a decade and performs it in both immediate and delayed reconstructions.

Meet your surgeon

Dr. Wai-Yee Li,
MD PhD FACS

A female board-certified plastic surgeon in Arcadia, Los Angeles, specializing in aesthetic and reconstructive breast surgery — with a focus on the best surgical outcomes, less pain and minimal scarring.

Meet Dr. Wai-Yee Li ›