Before and after bilateral breast reconstruction revision in a 45-year-old breast cancer survivor. She previously had bilateral non-nipple sparing mastectomies and submuscular implant reconstructions. Her implants were big and baggy, with rippling and an animation deformity. She was looking for a more natural reconstruction result and was delighted to learn she was a candidate for the DIEP flap!
The previously placed implants were removed, and her pectoralis major muscles were returned to the chest wall and reconstructed back to their attachments to the ribs and sternum. Skin and fat from her lower abdomen was microvascularly transplanted as a free flap to each chest by disconnecting and then reconnecting tiny blood vessels under the microscope.
Secondary nipple and areola reconstruction was performed using the local flap technique to create a nipple prominence and medical tattoo for the areolar circle. Long-term follow up photos are shown 7 years after surgery.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
