Coordinated Reconstructive Care · Istanbul
with a specialist surgical team
Istanbul Breast Reconstruction Group provides information and coordinated international patient pathways for breast reconstruction in Turkey, including DIEP Flap and Latissimus Dorsi reconstruction. You do not need to choose a reconstruction method before contacting the team — the appropriate surgical pathway can only be discussed after individual medical assessment.
Dr. Cemil Işık
Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon
Your Surgical Team
Reconstruction should never be led by an anonymous institution. Your case is reviewed and planned by a named, verifiable surgeon.
Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon
Dr. Işık is a board-certified plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon whose training included focused work in microsurgery. Breast reconstruction after breast cancer is among the procedures he offers, always following individual medical assessment.
Reconstruction Options
Each case is reviewed individually. The right pathway depends on medical history, previous treatment, anatomy, and surgeon assessment.
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A microsurgical reconstruction option using lower abdominal tissue. Suitability depends on medical history, anatomy, previous treatment, and surgeon assessment.
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A reconstruction option using tissue from the upper back, sometimes combined with an implant depending on the case. Suitability should be reviewed by a surgeon.
Reconstruction options
Breast reconstruction is not a single operation. Techniques differ in where tissue comes from, how many operations are involved, and what recovery looks like. This section explains the options in general terms so that the questions you bring to an assessment are the right ones.
This is general information about breast reconstruction, not medical advice, and not a plan for your case. Techniques marked Planned here are ones this surgical team plans; the rest are explained so your research is accurate. Which technique is appropriate for you can only be established through individual medical assessment. This site documents the DIEP Flap and Latissimus Dorsi pathways in detail.
Also called autologous or flap reconstruction. Tissue is moved from another part of the body to rebuild the breast. Which donor site can be considered depends on your anatomy and on any previous surgery.
Also called: Deep inferior epigastric perforator flap
Uses skin and fat from the lower abdomen to rebuild the breast, in an approach designed to preserve the abdominal muscles.
What it depends on: Depends on available lower-abdominal tissue, previous abdominal surgery, vessel anatomy, general health, and surgeon assessment.
Read the full pathwayAlso called: LD flap, back flap
Uses muscle, and usually skin, from the upper back, and is sometimes combined with an implant depending on the volume needed.
What it depends on: Depends on back tissue, the volume required, previous treatment, shoulder function expectations, and surgeon assessment.
Read the full pathwayAlso called: Superficial inferior epigastric artery flap
Uses the same lower-abdominal tissue as a DIEP flap but is raised on different, more superficial blood vessels, so the abdominal muscle sheath is not opened.
What it depends on: Only some patients have vessels of adequate size for this technique, which is generally confirmed on imaging and during surgery.
Also called: Transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap, muscle-sparing TRAM, pedicled TRAM
Uses lower-abdominal tissue together with some or all of the rectus abdominis muscle, either kept on its original blood supply or transferred as a free flap.
What it depends on: Because abdominal muscle is involved, abdominal wall strength and hernia risk are part of the assessment alongside anatomy and general health.
Also called: Lipofilling, fat transfer
Moves the patient's own fat, taken by liposuction from another area, to refine contour, volume, or irregularities in a reconstructed breast.
What it depends on: Often used as a refinement step rather than a whole reconstruction; more than one session may be discussed, and not all transferred fat persists.
When the abdomen cannot be used, reconstruction using tissue from the thigh or buttock is sometimes discussed elsewhere. These are explained here so that your research is accurate; whether such a technique is part of your plan is established at assessment.
Also called: Profunda artery perforator flap, inner thigh flap
Uses skin and fat from the upper inner thigh, and is one of the alternatives considered when abdominal tissue is unavailable or unsuitable.
What it depends on: Depends on thigh tissue volume, the breast size being reconstructed, donor-site scar position, and surgeon assessment.
Also called: Transverse upper gracilis flap
Uses tissue and the gracilis muscle from the upper inner thigh, and is another option when the abdomen cannot be used as a donor site.
What it depends on: Generally suited to smaller-volume reconstruction; donor-site position and available tissue are assessed individually.
Also called: SGAP flap, IGAP flap, buttock flap
Use skin and fat from the upper or lower buttock as the donor site for microsurgical reconstruction.
What it depends on: Considered in selected cases where other donor sites are unsuitable; vessel anatomy and positioning during surgery are part of the assessment.
Implant-based reconstruction rebuilds volume with a breast implant rather than with your own tissue. The main differences between these approaches are how many operations are involved and where the implant sits.
Also called: Tissue expander then implant
A tissue expander is placed first and gradually filled over time to create space, then exchanged for a permanent implant in a second operation.
What it depends on: Involves more than one operation and a period of expansion visits, which matters particularly when planning from abroad.
Also called: One-stage implant reconstruction, immediate implant
Places the permanent implant during the same operation as the mastectomy, without a separate expansion stage.
What it depends on: Depends on the quality and blood supply of the remaining skin, breast size, and whether radiotherapy is planned.
Also called: Above the muscle implant
Positions the implant in front of the chest muscle, so the pectoral muscle is not lifted or divided.
What it depends on: Depends on skin thickness and blood supply after mastectomy; support material may be discussed as part of the technique.
Also called: Under the muscle implant, submuscular
Positions the implant partly or fully beneath the chest muscle, using the muscle as additional cover.
What it depends on: Muscle movement over the implant and the effect on chest wall comfort are discussed as part of the assessment.
Also called: Combined flap and implant reconstruction
Combines back tissue with an implant when the flap alone would not provide the volume required.
What it depends on: Combines the considerations of both techniques, including back donor site and implant-related follow-up.
Read the full pathwayTiming relative to mastectomy is a separate decision from technique, and is made together with the team treating the cancer.
Reconstruction begins during the same operation as the mastectomy.
What it depends on: Depends on the oncologic plan, whether radiotherapy is expected, and coordination with the treating cancer team.
Reconstruction is carried out as a separate operation months or years after mastectomy, including for patients whose treatment finished long ago.
What it depends on: Skin quality, scarring, and any previous radiotherapy are central to the assessment.
A temporary expander holds the space while final treatment decisions, such as whether radiotherapy is needed, are confirmed.
What it depends on: Used to keep options open; requires close coordination between the surgical and oncology teams.
Reconstruction is often a sequence rather than a single operation. These procedures are usually discussed later, once the main reconstruction has settled.
Rebuilds a nipple shape, usually using local tissue from the reconstructed breast, as a later and smaller procedure.
What it depends on: Usually planned months after the main reconstruction, once shape and swelling have settled.
Also called: 3D nipple tattoo, medical tattooing
Adds colour and the visual appearance of an areola, and can be used alone or after nipple reconstruction.
What it depends on: Timing depends on healing; colour may need refreshing over time.
Also called: Balancing surgery, contralateral surgery
Adjusts the opposite breast — by reduction, lift, or augmentation — so the two sides match more closely.
What it depends on: Whether this is discussed at all depends on the individual plan and on what matters to the patient.
Further procedures to adjust shape, contour, scars, or an earlier reconstruction that has changed over time.
What it depends on: Assessed individually; previous surgical records and imaging are usually needed before any discussion.
No technique is better than another in the abstract. The appropriate option is the one that fits your anatomy, your treatment history, and what you want from the result. These are the factors a surgeon reviews.
These come up in almost every first conversation. None of them rules out a discussion.
Radiotherapy changes the quality and elasticity of skin and tissue, which affects both which techniques can be considered and how healing is planned. Previous radiotherapy is one of the details a surgeon needs before any option can be discussed.
Some patients considering reconstruction have not had cancer, and are planning surgery because of a known genetic risk. Planning involves the genetics and oncology teams alongside the reconstructive surgeon, and follows a different pathway from reconstruction after treatment.
Reconstruction can be revisited after implant problems, capsular contracture, an earlier flap that failed, or a result that changed over time. Previous operative records and imaging are usually needed before any option can be assessed.
There is no point at which reconstruction stops being possible to discuss. Many patients ask years after finishing treatment, and delayed reconstruction is a recognised pathway rather than an exception.
Lymphoedema is a separate problem from reconstruction, but patients often raise the two together. Surgical and non-surgical approaches exist and are assessed by the teams that manage lymphoedema specifically.
Patient Journey
From the first consultation to recovery support, the pathway is designed to help you understand what happens next without feeling overwhelmed.
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Start with a clear first conversation and learn the responsible next step.
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Suitability and next steps depend on individual medical evaluation by the surgical team.
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If appropriate, hospital coordination, travel timing, communication support, and care planning are organized step by step.
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Support continues through hospital-based care, recovery planning, and follow-up coordination.
International Pathways
Patients travelling from different countries may have different planning questions. The first step remains a careful medical suitability review.
Focused on clear communication, timing, and preparation before travel decisions.
Explore the UK patient pathwayStructured support for early questions, coordination timing, and next-step planning.
Explore the USA patient pathwayCommon Questions
Early questions should be answered carefully and without rushing medical or travel decisions.
Begin with a responsible first step. Your case can be guided toward the appropriate medical review and coordination pathway.
Start with a responsible case review.
No treatment suitability, surgery date, or travel plan is confirmed without medical review.
