October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The treatment of breast cancer and its reconstruction is extremely challenging. Patients often need chemotherapy and radiation as a part of their therapy. Chemotherapy and radiation can make wound healing challenging
When skin has been previously radiated, it makes it very challenging to eradicate infection. In these scenarios we use vascularized skin and subcutaneous tissue from the lower abdomen to reconstruct the breast. The abdomen is then closed in a fashion similar to a “tummy tuck” and the breast is reconstructed with vascularized tissue.
The photograph demonstrates bilateral mastectomy reconstruction with DIEP flaps. A 3D nipple areola complex has been tattooed on the reconstructed breast mounds for finishing touches.
