Before and after left breast reconstruction with a DIEP flap in a 49-year-old breast cancer survivor. Her submuscular right implant reconstruction was hard, cold, painful and spasmed every time she engaged her right dominant arm. She wanted to use her own tissue for reconstruction – she was an appropriate candidate for microsurgical breast reconstruction.
The implant was removed, her pectoralis major muscle was returned to the chest wall, and a DIEP flap containing skin and fat was microvascularly transplanted to the right chest based on one tiny artery and two tiny veins that were disconnected from the abdomen and reconnected in the chest area. After this procedure, her right nipple and areola were tattooed to produce improved symmetry with her left natural breast.
Follow up photos are shown 1 year after surgery with maturing scars, improved breast asymmetry and a soft, warm, living right breast reconstruction.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
