Kroll et al. (2001) compared morphine use in patients who
had DIEP and those who had a free TRAM flap. Patients with DIEP flaps used significantly less morphine (—X total dose = 50.96 mg) than patients with free flaps (—X total dose =
107.04 mg; p < 0.001). The average hospital stay was 4.71 days
for DIEP procedures versus 5.1 days for free TRAM flaps, but
the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.077).