Diep

You might have heard about the “DIEP flap” for breast reconstruction, and it could sound a bit tricky. Let’s try to explain it in a straightforward way.

Picture this: you’ve had a mastectomy (breast removal) because of breast cancer, and you’re hoping to rebuild your breast in a way that feels and looks as natural as possible, without using implants. That’s where a DIEP flap comes in handy.

So, what exactly is it?

“DIEP flap” stands for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (don’t worry too much about the full name!). Basically, it’s a type of breast reconstruction where your surgeon uses your own tissue from your lower belly to create a new breast.

Here’s the main idea:

• Your Own Tissue: Instead of a silicone or saline implant, the surgeon uses skin, fat, and the tiny blood vessels that supply them, from your lower abdomen (the “love handle” area).
• Muscle-Sparing: This is the most important part about DIEP. Unlike older techniques, your abdominal muscles are not cut or removed. The surgeon carefully works around them, only taking the skin, fat, and the small blood vessels (called “perforators”) that go through the muscle to feed that tissue.
• Microsurgery: These tiny blood vessels from your belly are then meticulously reconnected to blood vessels in your chest using a special microscope. This is crucial because it gives the transferred tissue a new blood supply, allowing it to live and thrive as your new breast.
• Natural Look and Feel: Because it’s your own body tissue, the reconstructed breast will feel soft and warm, just like a natural breast. It will also change with your body, so if you gain or lose weight, your reconstructed breast will too.
• “Tummy Tuck” Benefit: As a bonus, because tissue is removed from your lower abdomen, you often get a flatter, “tummy tuck”-like effect in that area.

Why is it a good option?

• Natural: It provides the most natural-looking and feeling breast reconstruction.
• Long-lasting: Since it’s your own living tissue, it usually lasts a lifetime and doesn’t have the same risks as implants (like rupture or needing to be replaced).
• Muscle Preservation: Because your abdominal muscles are spared, you’ll have less pain, a faster recovery, and maintain your core strength, which is vital for daily activities.

Things to keep in mind:

• Complex Surgery: It’s a complex procedure that requires a highly skilled plastic surgeon with special training in microsurgery. It takes several hours to perform.
• Recovery: You’ll have two surgical sites to heal from (your chest and your abdomen), so recovery can take a bit longer than with implant reconstruction. You’ll likely need to stay in the hospital for a few days.
• Scars: You will have scars on both your breast area and your lower abdomen (usually a horizontal scar, similar to a C-section scar). These fade over time.

In essence, a DIEP flap is a sophisticated way to rebuild your breast using your own abdominal tissue, with a big focus on preserving your abdominal muscles for a more comfortable recovery and excellent, natural results.