- DIEP flap
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A DIEP flap is a type of breast reconstruction in which blood vessels called deep inferior epigastric perforators (DIEP), and the skin and fat connected to them are removed from the lower abdomen and transferred to the chest to reconstruct a breast after mastectomy without the sacrifice of any of the abdominal muscles.
The DIEP flap is similar to the muscle-sparing free TRAM flap but only requires the removal of skin and fat. Unlike with the TRAM procedure no muscle is sacrificed. The blood vessels, or perforators, required to keep the tissue alive lay just beneath or within the abdominal muscle. Therefore, a small incision is made in the abdominal muscle in order to access the vessels.
After the skin, tissues and perforators (collectively known as the "flap") have been dissected, the flap is transplanted and connected to the patient's chest using microsurgery. The plastic surgeon then shapes the flap to create the new breast. As no abdominal muscle is removed or transferred to the breast patients experience less pain post-operatively and a faster recovery compared to TRAM flap patients. Abdominal strength is also maintained long-term following the DIEP flap procedure.
Many women who undergo this form of reconstruction enjoy the added benefit of a flatter abdomen, with results that mimic a “tummy tuck” procedure. The risk of abdominal complications such as bulging and hernia is also very small, much smaller than with the TRAM flap method of breast reconstruction. As with all types of breast reconstruction however, 2 or 3 stages performed a few months apart are often required to complete the reconstruction process and to obtain the best cosmetic result.
Unfortunately, due to the complexity of the surgery few breast centers offer DIEP flap breast reconstruction despite the many advantages the procedure offers over the TRAM flap.
External links
- DIEP flap entry in the public domain NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
This article incorporates public domain material from the U.S. National Cancer Institute document "Dictionary of Cancer Terms".
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