A team from the French Breast Institute performs the first robot-assisted breast reconstruction without implants
The first implant-free robotic breast reconstruction using an abdominal flap (DIEP) was performed on November 27, 2017, by a team from the French Breast Institute (IFS) at the Alma Clinic in Paris. Dr. Marc-David Benjoar, plastic surgeon in charge of breast reconstruction at IFS was assisted by Dr. Francis Dubosq, urological surgeon specializing in robotics, and Dr. Yaël Berdah, plastic surgeon, for this complex operation that lasted seven hours in total and went perfectly. The DIEP flap consists of removing skin and fat from the belly to reconstruct the breast without a silicone implant.
To make these tissues live, the surgeon must also remove an artery and a vein located deep in the patient's pelvis to re-connect them under the microscope to the breast. The classic technique requires a 15 cm opening of the abdominal wall which can be responsible for postoperative pain and curvature of the abdomen. The Da Vinci robot made it possible to perform this phase of the operation with extreme surgical precision and to limit the scar on the abdominal wall to four centimeters. The entire team was surprised by the extremely fast recovery of the patient after the surgery. Post-operative pain was minimal and the patient was able to get up the next day and go home 5 days after her surgery.
We hope to be able to offer this technological and medical breakthrough to a larger number of patients in the future.
