title: Breast reconstruction with the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap: history and an update on current technique.
abstract: Perforator flaps allow the transfer of the patient's own skin and fat in a reliable manner with minimal donor site morbidity. For breast reconstruction, the abdomen typically is our primary choice as a donor site. The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap remains our first choice as an abdominal perforator flap and has become a mainstay for the repair of mastectomy defects. It allows the transfer of the same tissue from the abdomen to the chest for breast reconstruction as the TRAM flap without sacrifice of the rectus muscle or fascia. We discuss our current techniques and specific issues related to the surgery. We present the results of 1095 cases of free tissue transfers from the abdomen for reconstruction of the breast.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 200 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 465 Los Angeles, CA 90095-6960, USA.
authors.forename: Jay W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Granzow
authors.forename: Joshua L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.forename: Ernest S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008323:Mammary Arteries / Q000601:surgery; D008866:Microsurgery / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply