Before and after left DIEP flap breast reconstruction in a 58-year-old woman with breast cancer. Following four lumpectomies on the left and one on the right, she required a left mastectomy with removal of her nipple and areola. She elected to keep her right breast and not have a double mastectomy.
Skin and fat was microsurgically transplanted from her lower abdomen to her left chest by disconnecting and reconnecting a 2-3 mm artery and two veins under the microscope. A small skin paddle from the abdominal flap replaced the area where her nipple and areola was on the left breast.
After surgery, she took a full month off work and gradually returned to exercise and her normal activities. She required several months of chemotherapy after surgery due to the nature of her breast cancer.
Follow up photos are shown 2 years after surgery. She gained some weight after completing chemotherapy but has maintained good symmetry and is grateful to be living cancer-free. She is ready to consider nipple-areolar reconstruction and is excited to get back to her life!
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
