Before and after bilateral delayed TUG flap breast reconstruction in a 49 year old breast cancer survivor. She had not been offered breast reconstruction locally, and she had completed chemotherapy and radiation.
She knew she did not want implants, and she did not have enough abdominal skin and fat for a DIEP flap. Check out her washboard abs! However, she did have some significant fat in her inner thighs! She was an ideal candidate for a TUG flap.
Skin and fat was microsurgically transplanted from her upper inner thighs to create two new breasts. The standing cone created by shaping the flap was used to create an immediate nipple and areola reconstruction.
A year later, she had a small silicone gel breast implant placed under the left flap to even out her breasts, as she had less volume on the left side where a more aggressive mastectomy had been performed.
Later tattoo of the nipples and areolas completed her reconstruction. Follow up photos are shown three years after surgery, with mature scars. She has moved on with her life and no longer feels like a breast cancer patient. Microsurgery really is amazing!
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
