What is the success rate of DIEP flap surgery?

What is the success rate of the DIEP and GAP flap? Surgeons whom perform the operations routinely may have success rate exceeding 99\%. The success rate equals that of the TRAM and gluteal flaps depending on the surgical team.

Who is a good candidate for DIEP flap surgery?

Generally speaking, you may be a candidate for DIEP flap if you: Have excess tissue in your lower abdominals. Want results that typically look and feel more natural than implants. Have realistic expectations for the procedure and are aware of the potential risks.

How painful is DIEP flap surgery?

Healing and recovery after DIEP flap breast reconstruction can be significantly easier than most patients think. With the implementation of ERAS Protocols, most patients experience little discomfort after surgery, require little if any narcotics, and can be discharged from the hospital after 3 days or less.

Does DIEP flap lose weight?

If you lose weight after DIEP surgery, your reconstructed breasts will likely decrease in size as well. This change may be minimally noticeable or drastic, depending on how your body reacts to weight loss.

Do you lose weight after DIEP flap?

Is a mastectomy painful?

You will have some pain after breast surgery (lumpectomy, mastectomy or breast reconstruction). For most people, this pain is temporary and goes away after you heal from the surgery. About 20 percent of people have pain that lasts longer [240]. Pain right after surgery is usually due to injury to the skin or muscles.

Is Diep a tummy tuck?

While we often say that a DIEP Flap procedure is like getting a tummy tuck, the focus of the surgery is natural breast reconstruction. Some patients may see results with the same toning and tightening as a tummy tuck, but others may not see drastic changes to their midsection.

Will DIEP flap breast reconstruction ever get warm?

Implants can never develop warmth or sensation. Implants also do NOT last forever. Implants have a limited lifespan, and they frequently need to be changed and require repeat operations. DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction will only get better with time as your body accepts and incorporates its own tissue in a new location.

Should I have breast implant surgery or flap reconstruction?

More plastic surgeons have experience with breast implant surgery than with flap reconstruction. Breast reconstruction can give you a good cosmetic result, but reconstructed breasts may not have the same look or feel as your original breasts. It’s also important to know that most women lose sensation in their breast area after mastectomy.

What happens if I have a mastectomy and implant reconstruction?

If you’re having a mastectomy and implant reconstruction on only one breast, your breasts may not be symmetrical after surgery. If you’d like, you can choose to surgically alter your healthy breast so it will better match the reconstructed breast in size and shape.

What are the different types of breast reconstruction surgery?

Implant and flap surgery are the two major types of breast reconstruction. Flaps make use of a woman’s own tissue to reconstruct the breast. Flaps offer a larger, softer breast. The best candidates for implants tend to be smaller, thinner women.