14 Months After Having Diep Flap Surgery I Still Get Swelling, is This Normal?

Generally we expect and advise patients that there will swelling up to a year after surgery and this usually improves over the year.  However, some patients can have swelling that can take longer but it should not a significant amount.  You can have partial fat necrosis of the flap and that can feel hard.  If that is what you referring to, then that may never completely go away.  If you had radiation before or after the DIEP flap, that can also delay the resolution of normal surgical swelling.  

Swelling 14 months after a DIEP flap is rather abnormal.   By this point, the tissue should have enough peripheral circulation to minimize any swelling or changes in size.

It would be helpful to know if you have any hardness or tenderness, which could signify fat necrosis and be causing your symptoms.

I recommend close followup with your plastic surgeon to evaluate and monitor your swelling.

Dr. GIll

Swelling after a year should be evaluated by you plastic surgeon. If it is in the abdomen it may be a hernia.