Converting an implant reconstruction to her own tissue, after radiation

This 49-year-old patient came to the practice with a reconstruction performed at an outside facility. She had tissue expanders in place, had recently completed radiation to the right breast, and wanted to convert to her own tissue.

Both breasts were rebuilt from her own abdominal tissue with DIEP flaps, followed by nipple reconstruction and umbilical reconstruction.

Radiated skin behaves differently. To improve the result, some of the skin on the lower right breast was replaced with healthier skin from the abdomen. That allowed the right breast to be lowered, better shaped, and brought closer to symmetry with the left.

The photographs are 1 year 6 months post-operative.