Before and after partial breast reconstruction with the DIEP flap. This 56 year old woman had a past partial mastectomy for breast cancer, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. She did not wish to have a completion mastectomy.
Her before images show that the bottom half of the breast was essentially missing, creating deformity and contributing to a poor body image and a daily reminder of her breast cancer. Her right nipple was hidden in the scar under the breast and was pointing to the floor.
A DIEP flap was transplanted to the right chest to reconstruction the lower half of her breast using her own lower abdominal skin and fat. By opening up the scar, the right nipple was allowed to rotate upward and its normal position was restored. Tattoo of the areolas bilaterally helped to even out their color intensity. Follow up images are shown at one year after surgery.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
