DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction in Peoria, AZ

Women in the East Valley are often told that retaining their own tissue requires sacrificing their core strength. That is an outdated trade-off.

At Southwest Breast & Aesthetics, we prioritize autologous reconstruction—using your own tissue to repair the deficit—without the collateral damage of older surgeries. Our focus is the DIEP flap. By carefully isolating blood vessels in the lower abdomen, we transfer skin and fat to the chest to create a natural breast mound.

Crucially, we do this without cutting the abdominal muscle. This allows women in Ocotillo and the Price Corridor to regain their silhouette without compromising their physical capability or committing to decades of implant exchanges.

DIEP flap reconstruction stands for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flap. It is the modern gold standard in autologous reconstruction, meaning it uses your own living tissue rather than a synthetic foreign object.

During this complex surgical procedure, our reconstructive surgeons carefully transfer skin and fat from the lower abdomen to the chest to create a new breast mound. The defining characteristic of the DIEP technique—and what sets it apart from the traditional TRAM flap—is the preservation of the abdominal wall.

In older surgeries, the abdominal muscles were cut or sacrificed to ensure the tissue survived. With the DIEP method, we use high-powered microscopes to isolate specific blood vessels (perforators) that run through the muscle without cutting the muscle fibers themselves. These tiny vessels are then reconnected to blood vessels in the chest, establishing a new blood supply for the reconstructed breast.

Because no muscle is removed, patients maintain their core strength and experience a faster, more comfortable recovery. This makes DIEP flap surgery an ideal choice for active women who want to return to yoga, hiking, or simply lifting their grandchildren without the risk of long-term abdominal weakness or hernias.

One of the most appreciated secondary benefits of DIEP breast reconstruction is the improvement to the donor site. Because we harvest excess fat and skin from the lower abdomen, the incision is closed in a way that mimics an abdominoplasty.

Patients wake up with a significantly flatter abdomen and improved abdominal contour, similar to the results of a cosmetic tummy tuck. While the primary goal is always safe, effective breast restoration, the aesthetic improvement to the midsection is a welcome bonus for many women.

DIEP flap surgery is technically demanding and requires a highly skilled plastic surgeon—or often, a team of two working in tandem.

The Two-Surgeon Approach

At Southwest Breast & Aesthetics, we frequently utilize a co-surgeon model. This means two experienced reconstructive surgeons operate simultaneously. One surgeon works on the mastectomy site (preparing the blood vessels in the chest), while the other carefully harvests the tissue from the abdomen. This collaborative approach significantly reduces the total time you are under anesthesia, minimizes blood loss, and improves surgical outcomes.

What Happens in the Operating Room?

The surgery takes place in a fully accredited hospital or surgical center equipped for microsurgery.

1. Incision and Harvest: We make a low horizontal incision on the abdomen, similar to a C-section or tummy tuck scar. The tissue is lifted, and the tiny perforator vessels are gently teased out of the muscle.
2. Microsurgical Connection: Using a microscope, we connect the artery and vein from the abdominal tissue to the internal mammary vessels in your chest. This is the most critical step; ensuring robust blood flow is essential for the tissue to survive.
3. Shaping the Breast: Once flow is established, we shape the tissue into a natural breast mound that mimics your original profile.
4. Closure: The abdominal incision is closed tightly, creating a smoother waistline.

Because this is a nerve-sparing technique that respects the abdominal wall, we avoid the heavy mesh reinforcement often needed in older TRAM flap surgeries.

You have choices for your care, but microsurgical breast reconstruction requires a level of expertise that general plastic surgery practices cannot offer.

• Microsurgery Specialists: We do not just "do" breast reconstruction; it is our primary focus. We prefer DIEP reconstruction because the medical evidence supports it as the superior long-term option for patients.
• Complex Revision Expertise: We regularly see patients who have had implant rupture, displacement, or capsular contracture and want to convert to natural tissue. We specialize in fixing multiple revision surgeries that have failed elsewhere.
• Holistic Support: From navigating insurance pre-authorizations to connecting you with post-op physical therapy in the East Valley, our team handles the logistics so you can focus on healing.

To help you decide, here is how DIEP flap surgery compares to other common options: