DIEP Flap in Washington DC

Also Serving Mclean, Alexandria, Loudoun County and Arlington

WHAT IS THE DIEP FLAP?

The DIEP flap (Deep Inferior Epigastic Perforator) is a technique whereby the lower abdominal skin and fat are transplanted to rebuild the breast(s).  The DIEP flap is one of the most advanced operations for breast reconstruction and patients enjoy having the most natural results, as well as an improvement in abdominal contour. 

Dr. Rad is considered one of the premier physicians in DIEP flap reconstruction.  Dr. Rad works diligently with you to ensure your goals for symmetry, size and proportion are reached. Having performed hundreds of DIEP flap operations, Dr. Rad’s success rate exceeds 99% and his patients enjoy quick, comfortable recovery as well as results that last a lifetime.

Procedure Cost

WHAT IS THE COST OF DIEP FLAP RECONSTRUCTION?

The DIEP flap is highly specialized surgery that very few plastic surgeons are able to offer. If Dr. Rad considers you to be a good candidate for the DIEP flap, then by the 1998 Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act you have the right to insurance coverage. This includes coverage for surgery on your affected breast as well as your other normal breast for symmetry. 

We use a proven 3-step process: 
1. We take the necessary steps to maximize insurance coverage for your surgery. We will request insurance “prior authorization” for your surgery. This is an agreement from your insurance company to cover the costs of surgery. We will do everything in our power to obtain your insurance company’s prior authorization before surgery.

2. We are your ally!  Dr. Rad and his team work with a professional billing service to ensure your insurance company agrees to cover the cost of surgery. 

3. We don’t give in! Even with prior authorization some insurance companies push back on total coverage. We work with other professionals in the legal sphere to convince your insurance company that full coverage is required. 

Hundreds of patients have enjoyed top flight DIEP flap results under Dr. Rad’s care, and we will be happy to answer your questions. Call us at 202.517.7299 and ask for Zoe.

BEFORE + AFTER

View Before/After Gallery

Photos are of patients who have given explicit written agreement to have them displayed. For patient privacy reasons, the majority of Dr. Rad’s patients prefer their before/after photos to remain off-line. However, Dr. Rad will be happy to show you, in the setting of a confidential consultation, a series of before/after photos, not displayed here, to address your specific concerns. SHERBER+RAD cannot guarantee specific results. Individual results may vary.

Q+A

Regrettably, only 30% of breast cancer patients who’ve had mastectomy are offered any form of reconstruction, and among them very few are offered the DIEP flap because only 1% of plastic surgeons worldwide have the skill to perform it.  Therefore, 99% of plastic surgeons offer outdated techniques such as the TRAM flap not because it’s safer for patients, but rather because they don’t have the skill to perform DIEP flaps.  Proper execution of the DIEP flap requires specialized skill in microsurgery to perform it safely and effectively.  Dr. Rad is one of  and one of a handful in the northern VA and DC area who has the technical experience and 1 of only 30 surgeons worldwide who offer the Love Handle flap, as well.  For this reason, Dr. Rad’s experence is sought by women from around the world for whom implant or other traditional reconstructive procedures have failed.  

Dr. Rad has performed over 1,000 perforator flap (DIEP flap, Love Handle flap, TUG flap, etc.) breast reconstructions, with a success rate of great than 99.5% which is far higher than the national average of 97.5%.  To assure your safety it is so important that patients seek out plastic surgeons who have specialized experience and a high success rate in performing these complex operations. 

Breast reconstruction is safe and is performed under general anesthesia and a short 3 hospitalization is standard for DIEP flap surgery. Dr. Rad works with board certified anesthesiologists and performs surgery at the top hospitals in the region.

What Patients Are Saying