Insurance-Covered, Natural Reconstruction by The DIEP Group at Baystate Medical Center
Restoring Comfort and Confidence Through Natural Reconstruction
For women in Leominster, Fitchburg, Gardner, and surrounding North-Central Massachusetts towns, natural breast reconstruction after mastectomy is now available without the need to travel far from home.
At Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, the highly skilled microsurgeons of The DIEP Group perform DIEP flap breast reconstruction — an advanced, natural procedure that rebuilds the breast using your own skin and fat rather than implants.
Fully covered by insurance, this innovative surgery offers lifelong, natural results that feel soft, warm, and completely your own. It’s a transformative option for women who want lasting comfort and peace of mind after breast cancer.
Why Leominster Women Are Choosing DIEP Flap Reconstruction
Many women in North-Central Massachusetts are surprised to learn that the most advanced breast reconstruction technique — the DIEP flap — is performed close to home at Baystate Medical Center.
1: Natural, Permanent Results
The DIEP flap uses your own living tissue from the lower abdomen to recreate the breast. The result looks and feels completely natural and will never need replacement.
2: No Implants or Maintenance
Unlike implants, the DIEP flap won’t rupture, leak, or require periodic replacement. It’s a one-time, lifetime reconstruction that ages with your body naturally.
3: Ideal After Radiation or Implant Problems
For women who’ve had radiation, implant hardening, or asymmetry, the DIEP flap restores comfort by replacing scarred or damaged tissue with healthy, vascularized skin and fat.
4: Improved Abdominal Contour
Because tissue is taken from the lower abdomen, the procedure also provides a smoother, flatter stomach — similar to the effect of a mini tummy tuck.
5: Fully Covered by Insurance
All forms of breast reconstruction, including DIEP flap procedures and any necessary revisions, are covered by insurance under federal law.
What Makes The DIEP Group Different
Highly Experienced Microsurgeons
The DIEP Group’s board-certified surgeons specialize exclusively in microsurgical breast reconstruction, performing hundreds of successful DIEP flaps each year.
Convenient Access for Leominster Patients
Located less than 90 minutes from Leominster, Baystate Medical Center in Springfield offers state-of-the-art surgical care without the need to travel to Boston or out of state.
Comprehensive Insurance Assistance
The DIEP Group’s administrative team manages every step of the insurance process — including preauthorization, documentation, and appeals — so patients can focus solely on recovery.
The DIEP Flap Procedure: How It Works
The Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction uses skin and fat from the lower abdomen to rebuild the breast. The abdominal muscles are preserved, which means less discomfort and faster recovery.
Using microsurgical techniques, tiny blood vessels are reconnected under a surgical microscope, creating a living, healthy breast with its own natural blood flow.
Because the procedure uses your own tissue, the reconstructed breast is soft, warm, and fully integrated with your body — no foreign material required.
Your DIEP Flap Journey
Step 1 – Consultation
The process begins with a detailed consultation — either in person or virtual — where our surgeons review your goals, medical history, and prior treatments.
A CT angiogram helps map your abdominal blood vessels for precise surgical planning.
Step 2 – Surgery at Baystate Medical Center
All surgeries are performed at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. The operation takes 6–8 hours under general anesthesia.
Hospital stay: approximately 2 days. You’ll walk comfortably the next morning.
Step 3 – Recovery
Since your muscles remain intact, recovery is faster and more comfortable. Most patients return to light activity within two weeks and full activity in six to eight weeks.
Step 4 – Refinement
After initial healing, minor procedures such as fat grafting, nipple reconstruction, or scar revision can fine-tune your results.
Insurance Coverage for DIEP Flap Reconstruction
DIEP flap breast reconstruction is fully covered by insurance — not just immediately after mastectomy, but also years later.
The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) ensures that all health insurance plans covering mastectomy must also cover reconstruction, symmetry procedures, and revisions.
We Handle It All
- Preauthorization and submission
- Documentation of medical necessity
- Coordination with your insurance provider
- Appeals and approvals, if required
Common Private Insurance Plans in Central Massachusetts
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Tufts Health Plan
- Aetna
- Cigna
- UnitedHealthcare
Who Is a Good Candidate for the DIEP Flap?
You may be a strong candidate if you:
- Have had a mastectomy or plan to have one
- Want a natural breast reconstruction using your own tissue
- Have had radiation or prior implant complications
- Have enough lower abdominal tissue for transfer
- Want a one-time, permanent result with no implants
Even women with prior abdominal surgeries — such as C-sections — can often still qualify after imaging confirms good blood vessel flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get DIEP flap reconstruction years after my mastectomy?
Yes. Reconstruction is covered by insurance at any time after mastectomy, even decades later.
Will I lose abdominal strength after surgery?
No. The DIEP flap preserves your abdominal muscles, allowing full recovery of strength and flexibility.
How long will I stay in the hospital?
Most patients stay two days and begin walking comfortably the next morning.
Can I replace my implants with DIEP flap reconstruction?
Absolutely. Many patients with implant pain, tightness, or asymmetry switch to DIEP flap reconstruction for softer, more natural results.
Is the DIEP flap covered by insurance?
Yes. Federal law mandates insurance coverage for all forms of post-mastectomy reconstruction, including DIEP flaps and any future revisions.
Patient Testimonial – Leominster, MA
“I never thought I’d find such advanced breast reconstruction close to home. I’d had implants after my mastectomy, but they became painful and uneven. The DIEP Group helped me replace them with my own tissue, and my results are amazing — soft, natural, and comfortable. I finally feel normal again.”
— Caroline P., Leominster, MA
Why The DIEP Group Is North-Central Massachusetts’ Leader in Natural Reconstruction
- Board-certified microsurgeons with extensive DIEP flap experience
- High surgical volume across New England – over 200 DIEP flaps performed yearly
- Surgeries performed at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield
- Comprehensive insurance coordination
- Expertise in revision and complex cases
- Natural, permanent results that restore confidence and comfort
Serving Leominster, Fitchburg, and Surrounding Communities
The DIEP Group proudly serves women from Leominster, Fitchburg, Gardner, Lunenburg, and North-Central Massachusetts, offering insurance-covered, natural breast reconstruction at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, MA.
To explore other areas nearby, visit our local guides:
- Springfield, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Chicopee, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Westfield, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Holyoke, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Amherst, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Northampton, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Pittsfield, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Greenfield, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
- Leominster, MA – DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction
Schedule Your Consultation
If you live in or near Leominster, MA, and are seeking natural, insurance-covered DIEP flap breast reconstruction, contact The DIEP Group today to schedule your consultation.
The DIEP Group
Surgeries performed at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA
203-200-0828
