Before and after bilateral DIEP flap in a 32 year old woman with an aggressive left breast cancer. She had already undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy to help shrink the tumor and required a non-skin-sparing left mastectomy. She elected to have a right mastectomy at the same time and bilateral breast reconstruction using her abdominal skin and fat.
Bilateral mastectomies and DIEP flap breast reconstructions were performed at the same operation. Her right breast was lifted at the same time and her right nipple and areola was removed and reapplied in a higher position as a free nipple and areola graft.
Following this surgery, she continued on her chemotherapy regimen and required radiation therapy to her left chest wall. Follow up photos are shown at 6 weeks after her DIEP flaps. She will need to wait at least 6 months after the completion of radiation therapy to have any additional surgery to allow post-radiation edema (swelling) to go down. In the future, she can have a left nipple and areola reconstruction using a local flap or a free nipple graft from the right side together with a medical tattoo.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
