DIEP FLAP BREAST RECONSTRUCTION CONNECTICUT

DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction in Connecticut

Jandali Plastic Surgery is one of the only specialized practices offering DIEP flap breast reconstruction for patients in Fairfield County, Connecticut.  Dr. Shareef Jandali performs DIEP flaps on patients from Fairfield County, Norwalk, Westport, Stamford, Wilton, Weston, Easton, Fairfield, Trumbull, Shelton, Bridgeport, Milford, Stratford, New Haven County, and New York.

Natural Breast Reconstruction Without Implants in Connecticut

The use of a woman’s abdominal tissue is the most common way to perform breast reconstruction when not using an implant.  The first procedure, first started in the 1980s, was the pedicled TRAM flap, which stands for Transverse Rectus Abdominis Myocutaneous Flap.  This procedure involved taking one of the entire muscles of the abdomen as the blood supply to the overlying fat and skin.  This was then kept attached and twisted up to the breast through a tunnel made in the upper abdomen.  The problem with this flap is that it doesn’t have the best blood supply and one of the entire “six pack” muscles of the abdomen has to be taken.  Mesh always has to be used to repair the abdomen and there is a chance of developing a hernia.  Because the entire muscle is taken, this can lead to decreased strength with core activities and exercises, like sit ups and bending at the waist.

Free TRAM Flap in Connecticut

Advances in microsurgery allowed an improved operation, the free TRAM flap, to be used for breast reconstruction.  This operation involves taking a different better blood supply to the tissue of the abdomen and usually only part of the muscle.  The tiny vessels are then sutured into small vessels in the breast area using microsurgery.  This operation was shown to have improved outcomes and strength of the abdomen after healing.  However, a portion of the muscle is still removed and sacrificed.  Mesh often has to be used to reinforce the abdomen after a free TRAM flap, so that a hernia doesn’t develop.

DIEP Flap in Connecticut

The DIEP flap, which stands for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap, is a further refinement and improvement upon the free TRAM flap.  The DIEP flap does not remove any muscle at all from the abdomen, and only takes the vessels and the overlying skin and fat for the breast reconstruction.  This procedure also involves microsurgery, with the tiny flap vessels being sutured into vessels in the breast area.  A DIEP flap is the most advanc​ed way to reconstruct the breast using the tissue from the abdomen.  It has been shown to have the best outcomes with no loss of strength of the abdomen, since NO muscle is removed from the abdomen with a DIEP flap.