DIEP flaps are commonly used to reconstruct the breast following mastectomy in the setting of radiation. After a mastectomy and radiation, the skin that has been radiated, will not expand appropriately to accept an implant. Often the tissue has been damaged from the radiation and needs to be excised to appropriately reconstruct the breast. Autologous tissue reconstruction is the reconstruction…
Radiation therapy is often a necessary tool in the treatment of breast cancer. When breast reconstructions have been radiated, a patient’s skin and soft tissues can react in many different ways. The breast implant beneath the radiated tissue can undergo capsular contracture and occasionally the skin can undergo degenerative changes that can lead to wound breakdown and possible implant exposure.…
DIEP or deep inferior epigastric artery perforator flaps for breast reconstruction are commonly used in delayed breast reconstruction and following radiation therapy. Breast reconstruction with DIEP flaps typically require three stages of surgery to maximize the symmetry that is able to be obtained. In the first stage, the skin and fat from the lower abdomen is harvested and then transferred…
DIEP flap breast reconstruction is becoming more common. Patients who are seen in consultation for mastectomy often choose to undergo autologous breast reconstruction. Patients who wish to undergo autolgous reconstruction choose to use their own body tissue to reconstruct their breasts. When patients use their own body tissue for reconstruction, it obviates the need for breast implants. Patients may not…
