If you are interested in rebuilding your breast(s) after a mastectomy or trauma using tissue from your own body instead of implants, we’re here for you. Regency offers an excellent team of experienced breast reconstruction specialists in the Phoenix area.
When a woman decides to undergo breast reconstruction after having a mastectomy or after having experienced trauma to the breast, she has the choice to use existing tissue from her own body to rebuild the breast(s)—which is called “autologous” or “flap” reconstruction—or to use breast implants. The advantage to using your own muscle, skin, or fat is that it is 100% natural and therefore does not risk any allergy or feeling of having something foreign inside of you. Flap surgery also tends to provide larger, softer, more natural-feeling breasts.
Both types of breast reconstruction options (implants or autologous/flap reconstruction) have the potential to yield excellent results, but this is a decision that is very important to make after speaking with your surgeon so that you’re fully aware of everything involved with both techniques.
Natural breast reconstruction removes skin, fat, and sometimes muscle and transfers it to the chest to rebuild the breast. This borrowed tissue is called a “flap”, and there are several techniques that are commonly used:
DIEP flap surgery uses skin and fat from the abdomen to re-create the breast(s). It is the most common donor-based breast reconstruction. A DIEP (deep inferior epigastric artery perforator) reconstruction has the added benefit of the patient receiving a flatter stomach, as that excess fat is removed.
The SHAEP (stacked hemiabdominal extended perforator) method is an advanced microsurgical technique. As an extended version of DIEP flap surgery, the SHAEP method uses the small perforator vessels in the hip area to go beyond the perfusion area of the DIEP flap. This method is a good option when large-volume breast reconstruction is needed.
A stacked DIEP flap surgery is an excellent option for patients who are thinner, but would prefer flap surgery instead of implants. In traditional DIEP flap surgery, only a half of the abdomen tissue is used to create the breast mound. With a stacked DIEP flap surgery, the entire unit from the abdomen is used to re-create the breast mound. This provides more volume, which is why it’s a good option for thin patients. Blood vessels in the chest are used for the blood supply.
Very similar to DIEP flap surgery, this method uses the superficial inferior epigastric (SIEA) vessels to source the blood supply to the flap, as opposed to the perforator vessels.
A good option for patients who are thin or have low body fat, the TUG (transverse upper gracilis) method takes the flap from the upper, inner thigh. The PAP (profunda artery perforator) method uses available skin, fat, and vessels from the back of the thigh.
A useful option for patients who are thin or have low body fat, an IGAP (in the crease) flap method uses available skin and fat from the lower buttock.
The SGAP (superior gluteal artery perforator) flap method is similar to the IGAP technique, but uses skin and fat from the upper buttock.
The LAP (lumbar artery perforator) flap method uses skin and fat from the lower back and hip area (flanks or “love handles”). As most women even very thin ones, have extra fat in this area, a LAP flap is a good option for many.
If you’re thinking about natural breast reconstruction, it is critical to speak with a surgeon who is board-certified, experienced, and is an expert in breast reconstruction. At Regency, we are proud to be breast reconstruction experts in the Phoenix, Buckeye, and Surprise area.
We love caring for patients who are survivors of cancer and other trauma. We cannot stress enough the importance of selecting a reconstruction team that is not only highly skilled, butl also patient-centric and caring.
Many women appreciate the fact that autologous/flap breast reconstruction is natural, with nothing foreign entering the body. Because the skin, fat, and muscle are from your own system, there is no risk of an allergic reaction or any of the occasional problems that arise from breast implants. The flap will behave like your own body, and will provide a re-created breast that feels and looks very natural.
If you’re interested in undergoing breast reconstruction, put yourself in the skilled hands of our team of breast reconstruction specialists. We are a patient-centric practice delivering the very best in reconstruction surgery. We keep your safety and wellbeing in mind at all times, and you will feel completely welcome from the moment you enter our door to your very last follow-up appointment. To learn more or schedule a consultation, please call 623-243-9077 or contact us online. We look forward to hearing from you.
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