OBJECTIVEIn order to facilitate psychological rehabilitation of the women who underwent modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer, the DIEP free flap was used for immediate breast reconstruction in a series of patients. We present a review of the surgical outcomes.

METHODSFrom December 2001 to January 2003, unilateral breast reconstruction was performed in 12 patients using the DIEP free flap at the same time of modified radical mastectomy in our department. The recipient vessels were the thoracodorsal artery and vein or the internal mammary artery and its venae concomitants.

RESULTSOf the 12 DIEP flaps, 1 was vascularized by a single perforator, 3 were vascularized by two perforators, 6 by three perforators, 1 by four an 1 by five perforators. One flap failed totally, likely due to previous multiple lower abdominal operations. The eleven reconstructed breasts achieved almost the same size and shape as the healthy sides. The time of patient getting out of bed ranged from 3 to 7 days and the mean hospital stay was 8.8 days. All patients were satisfied with the outcome. No complications were observed in the abdominal wall, including weakness, abdominal bulge or hernia.

CONCLUSIONImmediate breast reconstruction facilitates the psychological rehabilitation and helps to avoid the dressing inconveniences resulted from total mastectomy. Free DIEP flap is a new and reliable technique for immediate breast reconstruction with autologous tissue. This flap offers the patients the same advantages as the TRAM flap and avoids its most important disadvantage of potential abdominal wall weakness, by preserving the continuity of the rectus abdominis muscle. The donor site morbidity is thus reduced and recovery is faster. The more complex nature of this procedure leads to increased operating time and requires more demanding surgical skills.