title: Multiple pregnancies following deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction.
abstract: Pregnancy following abdominal flap-based breast reconstruction may cause stress to the abdominal wall. These changes may result in weakness and hernia or bulge. We present two patients who previously underwent unilateral deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction and became pregnant twice. Both patients maintained abdominal contour without bulges or hernias. Subjectively, patients reported minor changes to abdominal strength. Therefore, these two patients had minimal abdominal morbidity following pregnancy after unilateral DIEP flap reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Hospital, Department of Plastic Surgery, 3800 Reservoir Rd. NW, Washington DC 20007, USA.
authors.forename: Ketan M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basci
authors.forename: Maurice Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Nahabedian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D019245:Compressive Strength / Q000502:physiology; D019074:Epigastric Arteries / Q000601:surgery / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods; D061525:Perforator Flap / Q000098:blood supply*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D017568:Rectus Abdominis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000637:transplantation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome