What Is DIEP Flap Reconstructive Surgery?
Women who want a natural breast after a mastectomy often choose breast reconstruction called a DIEP flap. A deep inferior epigastric perforator, or DIEP, involves building a soft new breast from your own abdominal tissue without using any muscle. This procedure can sometimes be done the same day as your mastectomy, but you will usually have it done at a later date, once the breast skin has been expanded with tissue expanders. You can even have breast reconstruction if you had mastectomy without reconstruction a long time ago. You will be in good hands with our highly skilled surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses and other experts. Our plastic surgeons are the most experienced microsurgery team in the state of Florida and perform more than 650 microsurgical procedures each year.
Is This Procedure Right for You?
You may be a candidate for a DIEP flap if you have enough belly fat to remove. Imaging tests beforehand will map your stomach’s blood vessels to help make your surgery more successful. When you’re healed, you will be able to have reconstructed breasts from living tissue that look and feel natural. Talk to your doctor to see whether this is an option for you.
Benefits and Risks
Since tissue is taken from your abdomen for this procedure, you get the side benefit of a more contoured abdomen. Your new breasts will be soft and filled with living tissue, not artificial devices that might leak or require replacement. And unlike with implants, there is no need to regularly monitor the DIEP flap with MRI or ultrasound to check for rupture. Other benefits include:
- Self-sustaining. Blood vessels will be relocated to the new location to keep the rebuilt breasts healthy throughout your lifetime.
- Gain nipple sensation. Sensory nerves might be added too, with the goal of having some feeling in your new breasts.
- Muscle preservation. Injury to the abdominal muscles will be minimized, decreasing pain and discomfort and maintaining abdominal wall function.
- Shorter recovery. With our enhanced recovery protocols, including the use of long-acting regional anesthetics, you will have less pain and discomfort with this microsurgery.
If you receive the DIEP flap on only one side, you might want revisional surgery later on your other breast to match the size and appearance. If you have any other medical issues, we will work with you to address them before surgery. Any surgery has risk, but we ensure that we minimize any potential issues. Choosing a DIEP surgeon is an important step in your journey to defeat breast cancer and restore your body image. We are here to for you with services such as nutritional support, psychological support, physical rehabilitation and social services.
What To Expect?
Our compassionate multidisciplinary team will provide you with the best of care before, during and after surgery, which will take four to six hours. You’ll have general anesthesia during the surgery and a three-night hospital stay before being discharged with detailed instructions on post-surgery care. You will have two or more surgical incisions and relocated abdominal tissue, fat, blood vessels and possibly nerves. Those parts of your body will need to heal and may have drains for two to four weeks. For a few weeks, you will focus on resting and slowly adding light activities. Most women can resume their normal daily routine after six to eight weeks, and will regain their full strength and mobility within a year. With this procedure, you will likely have a belly scar from hip to hip between your navel and pubic bones. It should be low enough to be concealed by most clothing.
