Before and after left nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate DIEP flap breast reconstruction in a 54-year-old woman with breast cancer. Thanks to her five biological children, she had enough abdominal tissue for two breast reconstructions, but only her left breast was affected, and she chose to leave her right breast alone.
She also had “pectus excavatum” – a condition where the sternum is indented – which did not significantly affect her reconstruction options but led to the need for a more significant volume of tissue for reconstruction due to the down sloping of her central chest and a relative depression of the cleavage area.
A nipple-sparing mastectomy was done at the same time as her reconstruction, which involved microvascular transplantation of skin and fat from her lower abdomen to the left chest wall as a deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) free flap. At the same time, she underwent a hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) due to concerns about abnormal cells on her PAP smear and a bladder lift due to post-pregnancy urinary incontinence.
Follow up photos are shown 2 months after surgery. She has very good breast symmetry, a more contoured abdomen, is ready to begin scar therapy and is resuming unrestricted exercise.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
