DIEP Flap - Are You a Candidate?

DIEP flap breast reconstruction involves using the patient's own tissue, skin, and fat to create a new breast following a mastectomy procedure. It has given new hope to cancer survivors who feared they would have to live the rest of their lives with an unsightly reminder of their battle. It is not, however, the only option available to patients in this position. TRAM and traditional implant surgeries are also choices a plastic surgeon will have at their disposal, depending on the patient's wishes and their recommendations. As with any operation, some people are better candidates than others. Here are some indicators that it might or might not be the surgery for you.

Extra Cushioning

Rare are the occasions when having a bit of extra stomach fat actually comes in handy, but this is one of those times. In order to perform the DIEP flap procedure, the doctors will need extra skin and fatty tissue from the abdominal area. It is from this tissue that the breast mound is created. Therefore, someone with extremely low body fat is unlikely to be a good candidate for the procedure. This doesn't mean, of course, that you need to be obese to qualify for the procedure. In fact, anyone suffering from obesity is in a poor position to undertake unnecessary medical procedures, as their system is weaker than that of someone in good health. A few extra pounds, though? Perfect.

Nonsmoker

Doctors are always loathe to perform surgeries on a smoker who has not agreed to stop smoking in preparation for the procedure. While the link between smoking and breast cancer is not well established, the mountains of medical evidence linking tobacco smoke and cancers of all kinds stands to prove a point. If you are a smoker with breast cancer, your oncologist has undoubtedly urged you to quit. This is particularly true in preparation for a mastectomy and it will be true again in preparation for DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Smoking leads to poor blood flow which can delay recovery and cause complications.

OK With Multiple Surgeries

Unfortunately, while DIEP flap surgery can be very effective in giving a patient one of the best results in breast reconstruction, it isn't something that can be completed in a single session. To create the nipple and areola, multiple procedures may be necessary. The patient needs to be ok with coming back in for additional work as her plastic surgery team works to give her the best aesthetic result possible.