Before and after breast revision in a 36-year-old BRCA gene-positive woman. She previously had bilateral prophylactic nipple-sparing mastectomies and DIEP flap reconstructions with unfortunately disastrous healing.
Due to a lack of blood supply from the mastectomy technique, she lost circulation to her left nipple and much of the lower pole of the left breast skin. She packed her wounds for months until they healed, and was left with severe asymmetry and deformity.
While we can never promise perfect restoration of tissue that has been lost by cancer surgery or complications, we always strive to provide improved symmetry so that breast cancer survivors – and “previvors” – can hopefully resume their lives with less reminders of their breast cancer diagnosis and poor outcomes from past surgery.
Her revision involved placement of implants beneath both flaps to add volume and even out the sizes of the breasts. Free fat grafting to the lower pole of the left breast reconstruction provided a small amount of additional soft tissue. The left nipple was reconstructed using the “nipple sharing” technique where a piece of the right nipple was grafted to the left side. Her left areola was reconstructed using medical tattoo.
Follow up photos are shown 6 months after surgery. The scars under her left breast are still firm and causing some puckering, but she now feels comfortable being nude with her husband and wearing a swimsuit with her children. THIS is why breast reconstruction is so important.
Plastic Surgery can help women move forward and feel more whole. It is an honor and privilege to help women who have faced breast cancer, or in this case, did everything possible to prevent breast cancer from occurring.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
