I'm doing risk reducing mastectomy and I'm a candidate for DIEP. I forgot to ask the plastic surgeon about what happens to my fat above the umbilicus. From reading online, it does not appear that they liposuction they do with a cosmetic tummy tuck. Yet, I am reading all over the place online that DIEP is like a tummy tuck. If I do DIEP, will the fat above the umbilicus hang over my waist, giving me a muffin top? Can I self pay after the reconstruction to get the liposuction done? Thanks
July 31, 2015
Answer: DIEP and tummy tuck Thank you for the excellent question.The appearance of the abdomen after DIEP looks like a tummy tuck, but with a few differences. The abdominal wall is not plicated and there may be standing cone deformities (dog-ears) at the lateral edges of the incision. The dog-ears can be revised in office or another stage of surgery. Otherwise, the tissue above your umbilicus is undermined like a tummy tuck and this tissue is advanced inferiorly towards the lower incision. Liposuction is typically not done at the the time of a DIEP, but can be done at a later stage. Sometimes, if a fat graft is needed after your DIEP surgery, liposuction of the abdomen can be performed, and then covered by your insurance.Regards,Manish Champaneria, MD
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July 31, 2015
Answer: DIEP and tummy tuck Thank you for the excellent question.The appearance of the abdomen after DIEP looks like a tummy tuck, but with a few differences. The abdominal wall is not plicated and there may be standing cone deformities (dog-ears) at the lateral edges of the incision. The dog-ears can be revised in office or another stage of surgery. Otherwise, the tissue above your umbilicus is undermined like a tummy tuck and this tissue is advanced inferiorly towards the lower incision. Liposuction is typically not done at the the time of a DIEP, but can be done at a later stage. Sometimes, if a fat graft is needed after your DIEP surgery, liposuction of the abdomen can be performed, and then covered by your insurance.Regards,Manish Champaneria, MD
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Answer: Abdominal wall appearance after a DIEP flap Although a DIEP flap and a tummy tuck both remove the lower abdominal skin and fat, there are differences. During a tummy tuck, the fat above the umbilicus is often thinned during the procedure. Liposuction is not usually performed at the time of a DIEP because the focus is on completing the breast reconstruction. The upper abdominal wall does appear thinner after a DIEP flap because the tissue is stretched during closure. Also, similarly to a tummy tuck, I will routinely close the rectus diastasis of the upper abdomen during a DIEP flap which also flattens the upper abdomen. There is often a revision procedure 2-3 months after a DIEP flap which may include a nipple reconstruction, adjustments to the flap or fat grafting. Liposuction is performed to collect the fat to be grafted into the breasts. If the upper abdomen is still thicker than desired after your DIEP flap, then it can become the site of liposuction for the fat grafting and result in a thinner contour to the upper abdomen. Fat grafting is considered a reconstructive procedure and therefore the liposuction performed to collect the fat would be covered by insurance. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions.
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Answer: Abdominal wall appearance after a DIEP flap Although a DIEP flap and a tummy tuck both remove the lower abdominal skin and fat, there are differences. During a tummy tuck, the fat above the umbilicus is often thinned during the procedure. Liposuction is not usually performed at the time of a DIEP because the focus is on completing the breast reconstruction. The upper abdominal wall does appear thinner after a DIEP flap because the tissue is stretched during closure. Also, similarly to a tummy tuck, I will routinely close the rectus diastasis of the upper abdomen during a DIEP flap which also flattens the upper abdomen. There is often a revision procedure 2-3 months after a DIEP flap which may include a nipple reconstruction, adjustments to the flap or fat grafting. Liposuction is performed to collect the fat to be grafted into the breasts. If the upper abdomen is still thicker than desired after your DIEP flap, then it can become the site of liposuction for the fat grafting and result in a thinner contour to the upper abdomen. Fat grafting is considered a reconstructive procedure and therefore the liposuction performed to collect the fat would be covered by insurance. I hope this helps. Feel free to contact me with any additional questions.
Helpful 1 person found this helpful
