Before and after bilateral mastectomies and immediate DIEP flap breast reconstruction in a 37-year-old woman with triple-negative breast cancer. Following neoadjuvant chemotherapy to help shrink her tumor, she required a total mastectomy on the left. She chose a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of developing new cancer on the right as well after genetic testing showed that she was a carrier of the BRCA gene.
Skin and fat was microsurgically transplanted from her lower abdomen to her chest to reconstruct both of her breasts. Her nipples and areolas were removed during the mastectomies and replaced at the end of the procedure to achieve a breast lift at the same time, placing them higher up on the breast.
A secondary procedure removed additional fat using liposuction from her abdomen and flanks to further contour her DIEP flap donor site. Medical tattoo brightened her areola color on both sides.
Follow up photos are shown a year and a half after surgery. She recently learned she was pregnant and is so happy for the next chapter of her life, cancer-free! Having surgery on the abdomen like a DIEP flap will not interfere with future pregnancies in any way.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
