Before and after left breast DIEP flap and implant reconstruction and a right augmentation and mastopexy in a 45 year old woman with left breast cancer. She required a left mastectomy and wanted to use her abdominal tissue for reconstruction.
She underwent a combined left mastectomy, left DIEP flap and right breast lift surgery that took 6 hours and required a five night hospital stay. Unfortunately, after her mastectomy, the lower pole of her breast skin developed necrosis and required debridement. Thankfully, she had a healthy flap underneath to facilitate healing.
After her left breast wound had healed slowly on its own, a breast revision involved scar revisions and placement of implants under her left flap and her right breast to give her the fuller, rounder breasts she had always wanted! She considered her breast reconstruction to be her Mommy Makeover as well, since she had three children who were now in their teens.
As a final stage performed under local anesthesia in the office, her left nipple was reconstruction by the “nipple sharing” technique where a piece of the right nipple was moved to the left breast reconstruction as a free graft. Medical tattoo completed the areola reconstruction. Follow up photos are shown nearly 2 years after her original mastectomy. Her scars are still fading and she is very pleased with her results.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
