DIEP flap breast reconstruction is often necessary to reconstruct the breast following radiation therapy. The lower abdomen is the primary source of tissue used to reconstruct the breast as it is soft and there is often adequate tissue available. After radiation therapy or removal of infected tissue expanders the skin can often not re-expand or is not amenable to placement…
There are several different manners in which to treat breast cancer. Breast cancer can be successfully treated with lumpectomy and IORT or intra-operative radiation therapy. In patients with smaller tumors and of a low grade the tumor can be resected and radiation delivered at the time of the lumpectomy. The breast can be rearranged and closed allowing for an optimal…
There are several different manners in which to reconstruct the breast following mastectomy. There are times when decreasing the size of the mammary prosthesis can help improve tissue characteristics and facilitate symmetry. One of the more challenging aspects of breast reconstruction is establishing symmetry of the inframammary folds. Once the inframammary folds are symmetric, establishing implant volume to attain symmetry…
There are breast tumors that invade through the skin of the breast. Depending upon the amount of skin that needs to be replaced different donor sites from the body can be used to replace the skin. For skin defects that reside in the upper outer quadrant of the breast, the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is an excellent flap to replace…
In patients who have implants and develop a cancer, the cancer can sometimes be removed as a lumpectomy. Lumpectomy is often treated with radiation therapy post-operatively. Radiation can increase the risk for capsular contracture in the radiated breast. Correction requires release of the encapsulated breast pocket or excision of the capsule and often a lift of the contralateral side.
Patients can undergo mastectomy reconstruction with tissue expanders and implants following mastectomy. In certain patients, the mastectomy can be performed from the inframammary crease and can be well concealed giving the patient an optimal aesthetic result.
Lumpectomy defects can be reconstructed with the same techniques used to make the breast appear more youthful. The same techniques can be used to correct a deformity in the breast following radiation therapy.
DIEP flap reconstruction can be used to reconstruct the breast in patients who have undergone radiation who are no longer candidates for implant reconstruction. In the radiated breast, the skin may not tolerate an implant or may be more susceptible to infection. In these patients the breast is reconstructed with the patients own body tissue. This photos shows a bilateral…
DIEP flap breast reconstruction uses the tissue from the lower abdomen to reconstruct the breast. This allows a natural match to the other breast. What can determine if a patient is a candidate for DIEP flap breast reconstruction is the amount of tissue on the lower abdomen and presence or absence of abdominal scars from previous surgeries. The satisfaction rate…
DIEP flap reconstruction is a common method of reconstruction. Occasionally the lower abdomen does not have sufficient tissue for a bilateral reconstruction and the flap reconstruction can be augmented with mammary prosthesis. Typically, we wait until one year after a DIEP flap reconstruction to augment the breast. The satisfaction rate is high with augmentation of the DIEP flaps because the…
