SIEA Flap
The Main Difference Between The SIEA Flap And The DIEP Flap Is The Artery Used To Supply Blood Flow To The New Breast.
The SIEA blood vessels are found in the fatty tissue just below skin whereas the DIEP blood vessels run below and within the abdominal muscle. While the surgical preparation is slightly different, both procedures spare the abdominal muscles and only use the patient’s skin and fat to reconstruct a warm, soft breast.
As with the DIEP procedure, patients receive an abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) at the same time as an added benefit to SIEA flap breast reconstruction. Sensory nerve reconstruction can also be performed in most patients. This can significantly improve the return of feeling in the reconstructed breast.
Though the SIEA is similar to the DIEP, it is used less frequently since the arteries required are generally too small to sustain the flap in most patients. Less than 20% of patients have the anatomy required for this procedure. Unfortunately, there are no reliable pre-operative tests to show which patients have the appropriate anatomy. The decision as to which type of reconstruction to perform is therefore made intra-operatively by the plastic surgeon based on the patient’s anatomy.
Key Information
- The SIEA flap is very similar to the DIEP flap
- The SIEA flap uses the lower abdominal skin and fatty tissue to reconstruct a natural, warm, soft breast after mastectomy
- The main difference between the SIEA flap and the DIEP flap is the artery used to supply blood flow to the new breast
- Like the DIEP flap, the SIEA flap preserves all the abdominal muscles
- Sensory nerve reconstruction can also be performed in most patients
- Less than 20% of patients have the necessary anatomy to make them candidates for the SIEA procedure
- To learn if you are a SIEA flap candidate or to schedule a consultation, please contact us here or call us at (800) 692-5565.
Hear From Our Patients
Oh what I would give to have found PRMA before my mastectomy, prosthesis, implants and 6 plus years of not being satisfied. I thank God every day for bringing PRMA into my life and I thank them for doing what they do so well. My wish is that PRMA reaches as many women possible early on so they too can benefit from the amazing work that they do for breast cancer patients. I promote PRMA every chance I have!
I would like to say is throughout the whole procedure from the first procedure, to the second procedure, to my final procedures I never felt less than a woman. I like my breast, and so the entire time I never felt like I was not a woman at any point. So definitely I would recommend PRMA to anyone and everyone.
I’m super excited and love the results and feel amazing. I want to let anyone listening to this know that I had the worst anxiety before my surgery thinking of everything you can imagine. I can say that this was 100% the right choice for me I love the way that I look. The process was much easier than what I expected.
I knew I wanted to have a mastectomy, but I didn’t know about breast reconstruction. Dr. Ledoux gave me ALL the options I had, and I really appreciated that!
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