Breast Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction for Non-Cancerous Conditions

Natural-tissue breast reconstruction techniques can also be used for effective treatment of a number of noncancerous conditions. In particular, perforator flaps such as the DIEP flap offer considerable advantages over other methods of reconstruction for:

Unsatisfactory Breast Implants

A woman may need to undergo replacement of a breast implant for a variety of reasons, including capsular contracture or rupture. Or she may simply no longer want to have a breast implant, but still wants the cosmetic or reconstructive benefit that the implant provides. Using natural tissue to replace breast implants can be an excellent option for women in such situations, or when a breast implant has already been removed.

Tubular Breasts

Although breast implants are widely used to aid in the correction of tubular breasts, it is possible to correct this condition without using breast implants. Depending on the severity of the condition, excellent results can be achieved with procedures such as fat grafting or perforator flap surgery that do not require the use of a synthetic breast implant.

Poland’s Syndrome

Correction of the chest and breast deformities, in both male and female patients affected by the developmental condition known as Poland's Syndrome, can be achieved using a person’s own tissue. Fat grafting or perforator flap procedures can be attractive options when an implant is not desired, or when an implant has previously been ineffective.

Lymphedema

Lymphedema occurs when lymph fluid that cannot be properly drained builds up and causes swelling of an extremity. Lymphedema can occur following the removal of one or more lymph nodes––for example, when lymph nodes are removed from the armpit as part of the surgical treatment of breast cancer. State-of-the-art microsurgical procedures such as vascularized lymph-node transfer offer new hope for this condition