Breast Reconstructive Surgery

This method makes a "living implant" from tissue in your body to use in the reconstruction of your breasts. The flap is what we call the tissue used to create the new breast. We perform this procedure in a variety of ways, including:

• DIEP flap. Deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap uses tissue from the lower abdomen to make a new breast mound, combining breast reconstruction with a tummy tuck. We move blood vessels that run through the muscle to reattach near your new breast.

This procedure is performed when the breast surgeon recommends a lumpectomy or partial mastectomy. We work alongside the breast surgeons to reduce and lift the breast at the same time they remove the cancerous tumor. Oncoplastic reduction can be combined with a contralateral breast reduction on the same, or different day, so the breasts match in size and shape.

In this procedure, after the breast surgeon completes the mastectomy, we're able to place an implant inside the remaining skin of your breast. The implant is a smooth round silicone implant above the muscle (pre-pectoral) and performed the same day as the mastectomy. This allows you to go to sleep with a diagnosis of cancer and wake up with the cancer removed and both breasts, or one, fully reconstructed.

If you don't have enough skin left to create a breast after a tumor removal, or the blood supply to the remaining tissue is impaired, a tissue expander is placed in the breast pocket instead of an implant. This technique gently stretches or expands the leftover skin to make room for a breast implant or flap in the future.

Tattooing is a non-invasive method of creating a 3D appearing nipple areola complex after surgery.

This removes fat from the upper thighs, flanks or abdomen and places it in your breasts to help get the desired size and shape.