Breast Reconstruction Before & After Case 78

This patient is a 54 year old who inherited the BRCA gene making her very susceptible to breast cancer. In order to minimize her chance of developing breast cancer in the future, she decided to have bilateral prophylactic mastectomies. At the same time as her skin sparing mastectomy, both breasts were reconstructed with free deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps from her abdomen. During this type of breast reconstruction, the tissue from the abdomen is removed, similar to a tummy tuck. However, instead of discarding this tissue, it is used to reconstruct the breasts. This type of breast reconstruction allows use of the abdominal skin and fat with preservation of the abdominal muscles.

 

The patient returned to have nipple reconstruction and liposuction of her abdomen several months later. Nipple tattooing was then performed in the office. The patient is delighted with how natural her breasts feel and look. She is also relieved to have a minimal risk of developing breast cancer in the future.