Robert Whitfield MDAmerica's Breast Implant Illness Expert™

Immediate Breast Reconstruction with DIEP Flap - Dr. Robert Whitfield Explains

2 Apr 2018 · 1 min

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Surgeon Robert Whitfield MD explains immediate breast reconstruction using the patient’s abdominal skin and fat (DIEP-style flap), arguing most women can undergo reconstruction at the time of mastectomy. He states their practice performs immediate reconstruction in about 90% of patients and reports a 99.3% success rate for deep flaps, attributing outcomes to an experienced multi-surgeon team.

Questions this video answers

About 90%.

99.3%.

Either two plastic surgeons plus a physician assistant, or three plastic surgeons.

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In the past, there's been a number of reasons why women could not necessarily proceed at the time of mastectomy at the reconstruction. Maybe we didn't have enough plastic surgeons in their area. Maybe we were concerned about them getting radiation therapy afterwards. Maybe we were concerned about their cancer and would it be a problem for surveillance. But at our practice, about 90% of the patients go on to have immediate breast reconstruction with their own tissue. We use the skin and fat of their abdomen to make a breast. And just like you have a lumpectomy and radiation therapy, we feel that we do such a good job making you a breast reconstruction out of your abdomen that if you need post mastectomy radiation therapy, you can have it and everything will be fine afterwards. Our success rate is 99.3% with respect to deep flaps. It's one of the best in the country. We have an entire team devoted to taking care of you. Either two plastic surgeons and our physician's assistant or three plastic surgeons operate on your loved one each time they have a breast reconstruction.