A DIEP flap (, ) is type of autologous breast reconstruction in which skin, fat, and blood vessels from the lower abdomen are transferred to the chest to reconstruct the breast following mastectomy. DIEP stands for the deep inferior epigastric perforator artery, which runs through the abdomen.
The DIEP flap reconstruction procedure is similar to the muscle-sparing free TRAM flap procedure, but it only requires the removal of skin and fat. Unlike in the TRAM procedure, however, no muscle is sacrificed. The DIEP flapâÂÂlike the TRAM flapâÂÂrequires an incision into the abdominal (rectus) muscle, as the blood vessels, or perforators, required to keep the tissue alive lie just beneath or within this 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 typically see a lower risk of losing abdominal muscle strength and may experience a faster recovery compared to TRAM flap patients. Studies comparing abdominal results with the muscle-sparing free TRAM and the DIEP show that abdominal wall hernias occur less frequently in DIEP patients, although the abdominal wall bulge rates are similar for both procedures.
The removal of lower abdominal tissue may result in a flatter abdominal contour, an effect sometimes compared to abdominoplasty. However, one risk of these procedures is the potential denervation of the abdominal musculature following the DIEP dissection. Operative time varies but is typically longer than implant-based reconstruction, with reported durations ranging from six to eight hours or more in complex cases.
DIEP flap breast reconstruction is typically performed by the Plastic Surgery team (rather than the Breast Surgery team) so is only available in centres with Plastic Surgery support. The procedure is technically more complex than some other reconstructive options and has been associated in some studies with favorable cosmetic outcomes and patient-reported satisfaction. Recent advances in preoperative imaging of the blood vessels in the abdomen (using CT or MRI scans), operative time and complication rates can be reduced in DIEP flap breast reconstruction.
DIEP flap surgery is a type of breast reconstruction after a mastectomy of a single or both breasts by using abdominal fat, skin, and blood vessels from the patient's own body.
Because the reconstructed breast consists of the patientâÂÂs own tissue, changes in body weight may affect breast volume. Hospital stay is typically longer than for implant-based reconstruction due to postoperative flap monitoring.
The operation can be performed at the time of the mastectomy (immediate breast reconstruction) or at a later time point (delayed breast reconstruction). Reasons to delay the operation include: surgeon preference, patient preference, advanced tumor requiring radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy, or because of a complication with an immediate breast reconstruction. The DIEP flap, because it can restore both the surface area and volume of a breast, is ideal for both immediate and delayed breast reconstruction.
Recovery from a DIEP flap happens in stages. Most patients leave the hospital in approximately 4 days, feel capable of doing most activities on their own after 3âÂÂ4 weeks, and have no surgical restrictions by 6âÂÂ8 weeks. Most patients are able to return to normal activities in 3âÂÂ4 months.
The harvesting of abdominal fat and belly skin generally provides an aesthetic benefit to the abdomen. It is often likened to an abdominoplasty or "tummy tuck", however the two procedures have notable differences.
Compared to a standard tummy tuck where excess abdominal skin and fat are removed, the DIEP flap procedure involves a longer recovery time as significant surgery is performed to the 2 vertical abdominal Rectus muscles in the process of careful "scratching" and finding the tiny blood vessel or "perforators" required to provide blood supply to the fat tissues. These are the "sit up" muscles or also known as the 6-pack muscles. They are essential muscles of the abdominal core and take some time to heal. Seven percent of patients reported long-term abdominal muscle weakness. Less than 4% of DIEP flap patients displayed clinically significant abdominal bulge, or hernia occurred. The reasons for this vary, though wound healing issues and sacrificing nerves seem to be correlated with increased incidence of an abdominal bulge or hernia. A corrective surgery placing supportive mesh can be performed to provide strength to the abdominal wall if needed.
Another benefit of this operation is that both breast are given a breast lift. This will leave permanent scarring. The extent and placement of the incisions and scars varies according to preference and skill of the surgeon. The lift is achieved by reattaching the nipple higher up on the breast and removing excess skin. The usually ample amount of tummy fat allows to the surgeon to give the patient an increase in breast size for women with smaller breasts.
DIEP flap reconstruction can be performed once only. In the case of a single mastectomy, the second breast cannot be rebuilt at a later time with a flap of fat tissue from the belly. For this reason, some patients may choose to perform a mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction on the non-cancerous breast at the same time to reduce the chance of later development of cancer and improve the overall reconstruction outcome.
Unless a nipple sparing mastectomy was performed, the areola and nipple of the cancerous breast is discarded in this operation. If the patient chooses, new nipples and areola<nowiki/>e are formed as a follow-up procedure through surgery and a tattoo process. Some women are satisfied without a nipple and choose to forgo nipple reconstruction and areola tattoo process.
Sensation in the nipples, much of the breast and an area surrounding the tummy tuck scar is significantly less after this operation, as microsurgery is routinely focused on vascular supply leaving the nerves untreated. Although it is more technically challenging, cutaneous sensation can potentially be restored by identifying and connecting intercostal nerve branches.