Before and after bilateral DIEP flap breast reconstruction in a 36 year old woman. She previously had been treated for left breast cancer by a left non-skin sparing mastectomy and chemotherapy. She was never offered breast reconstruction.
Given her age at the time of breast cancer diagnosis (age 34), despite testing negative for the BRCA gene, she opted to have a right prophylactic mastectomy and bilateral breast reconstruction using her abdominal tissue – which she had an abundance of after having her children.
A right mastectomy was designed through a breast reduction pattern. Her procedure was done before the time that free nipple-areola grafting was done routinely. Today, we would have saved her right nipple and areola and replaced it on the right breast reconstruction at the time of her DIEP flap breast reconstruction.
Bilateral DIEP flaps reconstructed her breasts. Her left breast reconstruction replaced missing breast tissue with skin and fat from her abdomen. The right DIEP flap was buried completely beneath her own breast skin.
Follow up photos are shown nearly two years after surgery. Her scars are still maturing. She had a natural propensity to make hypertrophic scars, as shown by her preoperative photos where her left mastectomy scar is still hypertrophic.
She plans to continue to lose weight and get more fit before her final stage surgery, which will include bilateral nipple and areola reconstruction and free fat grafting. For now, she is enjoying being with her family, knowing she has dramatically reduced the risk of developing a right breast cancer. And she is so happy she has given away her external prosthesis!
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
