About|Advocacy | Events | Get Involved | Search | For Practitioners

Jenny

PROCEDURES
Bilateral mastectomies
Bilateral DIEP flaps
Free nipple graft

Case Overview

Jenny underwent bilateral mastectomies with DIEP flap breast reconstruction at 43 years old. The cancer in her left breast was close to the nipple, which meant that it needed to be removed during mastectomy as part of her treatment. However, she was permitted to preserve the pigmented breast skin over the nipple (nipple areola). She then underwent a free nipple graft as a second stage procedure

Dr. Peter Korn

Surgeon

Jonathan Bank, M.D.
Preoperative before bilateral breast reduction and lift
Before
After bilateral breast revision surgery, abdominal donor site revision, and umbilical reconstruction (healed after stage 5)
After
^
Pre-operative Before Bilateral Mastectomies with DIEP flap breast reconstruction
^
After DIEP flap breast reconstruction
The location of Jenny’s left-side breast cancer required that her left nipple be removed during her mastectomies. Nipple areola skin was preserved on the left side, as was the entire right nipple.
Illustration showing stage one of breast reconstruction, including bilateral nipple-sparing and skin-sparing mastectomies with DIEP flap reconstruction, transfer of abdominal skin and fat to the breasts, and closure of the abdomen in a tummy tuck style.
^
After free nipple graft
At the second stage of her reconstruction, we took half of her right nipple (which was not removed during the mastectomy,) and transplanted it to restore the absent left nipple.
Illustration showing stage two of breast reconstruction, including right composite nipple grafting, belly button creation using a skin graft, and final reconstructed breasts with natural contours and symmetrical nipples.
^
Final result
The patient’s final result shows a successful free nipple graft, which completes her DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Free nipple grafts, or nipple sharing procedures, are not very common, but typically produce a high quality reconstructed nipple.
Last updated on June 4, 2026