Natural, Insurance-Covered Reconstruction by The DIEP Group at Baystate Medical Center
A Modern, Natural Approach to Breast Reconstruction for Amherst Women
In a town known for education, health awareness, and modern thinking, women in Amherst, MA, and nearby communities like Hadley, Belchertown, and Sunderland are choosing a more natural and lasting approach to breast reconstruction after mastectomy.
The DIEP flap procedure, performed by the microsurgical specialists of The DIEP Group at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, allows women to restore both physical balance and emotional confidence — using their own natural tissue, not implants.
Fully covered by insurance, this advanced reconstruction provides soft, warm, and permanent results while preserving muscle strength and body harmony.
Why Amherst Women Choose Natural Reconstruction
Amherst’s community is filled with educators, healthcare professionals, and women who value evidence-based, holistic choices for their health. DIEP flap reconstruction perfectly aligns with that mindset — it’s biologically natural, anatomically sound, and proven over decades.
1: Long-Term Health and Wellness
Because the DIEP flap uses your own tissue, there are no long-term implant concerns — no foreign material, no rupture risk, and no need for replacements every decade.
2: Body Harmony and Balance
The transferred tissue adapts naturally to your body’s changes over time — gaining or losing weight with you — preserving a consistent, proportional shape.
3: Comfort After Radiation or Implants
Women who have had radiation or implant-related complications often experience tightness, hardness, or pain. The DIEP flap replaces that with soft, living tissue that restores comfort and flexibility.
4: Natural Look and Feel
Unlike an implant, the reconstructed breast feels warm, soft, and moves naturally — helping women feel fully themselves again in both body and mind.
5: Insurance-Covered for Every Stage
Whether at the time of mastectomy or years later, DIEP flap reconstruction is fully covered by insurance. The DIEP Group handles all authorizations and preapprovals for you.
What Is the DIEP Flap?
The DIEP flap (Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator flap) is one of the most advanced breast reconstruction techniques available. It uses your own skin and fat from the lower abdomen to recreate the breast, while carefully preserving the underlying abdominal muscles.
Using microsurgery, our surgeons reconnect tiny blood vessels from the abdominal tissue to your chest, allowing the tissue to live and integrate as part of your body.
This creates a soft, warm, permanent breast reconstruction that looks and feels completely natural — while providing the added benefit of a smoother, flatter abdomen.
Your Reconstruction Journey with The DIEP Group
Step 1 – Consultation and Planning
Your journey begins with an in-depth consultation — in person or virtually — with one of The DIEP Group’s board-certified plastic surgeons. During this visit, your goals, prior surgeries, and treatment history are reviewed.
A CT angiogram of the abdomen maps the best blood vessels for your DIEP flap reconstruction.
Step 2 – Surgery at Baystate Medical Center
Your surgery is performed at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, about 30 minutes from Amherst. During the procedure, your lower abdominal tissue is transferred and microscopically connected to your chest vessels.
Hospital stay: typically 2 days, with walking encouraged the next morning.
Step 3 – Recovery
Most patients return home after two days, with light activities resumed within two weeks and full activity in six to eight weeks.
Step 4 – Refinement
Additional refinements — such as fat grafting, nipple reconstruction, or scar revision — can be performed later for optimal shape and symmetry.
Benefits Beyond Reconstruction
The DIEP flap provides not just aesthetic restoration but functional and emotional benefits:
- Natural integration – feels and moves like your own tissue
- Permanent results – no need for implant replacements
- Improved confidence and body image
- Compatible with radiation – brings in healthy, vascularized tissue
- Abdominal contour improvement – similar to a tummy tuck
- Restoration of comfort in daily life
Insurance Coverage for DIEP Flap Reconstruction in Massachusetts
Many women in Amherst and Hampshire County ask whether DIEP flap reconstruction is covered by insurance — and the answer is yes.
The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) requires all health insurance plans that cover mastectomy to also cover reconstruction, including advanced procedures like the DIEP flap.
The DIEP Group manages the entire insurance process for you:
- Preauthorization and submission of medical documents
- Medical necessity letters
- Direct coordination with your insurance provider
- Appeals and follow-up communication when needed
Common Private Insurance Plans in Hampshire County
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Tufts Health Plan
- Aetna
- Cigna
- UnitedHealthcare
Who Is a Candidate for the DIEP Flap?
You may be a candidate if you:
- Have had a mastectomy (recently or years ago)
- Have prior radiation or implant-related complications
- Have adequate lower abdominal tissue for transfer
- Want a natural reconstruction that doesn’t require implants
- Prefer a permanent solution that ages naturally
Even women who’ve had C-sections or previous abdominal surgery can often qualify — imaging helps confirm suitable blood vessels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still get pregnant after a DIEP flap?
Yes. Because the abdominal muscles are preserved, the DIEP flap does not interfere with future pregnancies or core strength.
Is the DIEP flap suitable for athletic women?
Yes. Many active women choose DIEP flaps because muscle preservation allows them to return to sports, yoga, and exercise routines with minimal restriction.
How far is Baystate Medical Center from Amherst?
Approximately 25–30 minutes by car, offering convenient access without the need to travel to Boston.
Can I have a DIEP flap years after my mastectomy?
Yes. Reconstruction is covered by insurance at any time after mastectomy — even decades later.
What is the average hospital stay?
Most patients stay two days and begin walking the morning after surgery.
Patient Testimonial – Amherst, MA
“As a UMass professor, I’m used to researching every detail before making a decision. After radiation, my implant felt hard and unnatural. The DIEP Group explained everything clearly, handled my insurance, and my surgery at Baystate went beautifully. I finally feel balanced again — physically and emotionally.”
— Melissa K., Amherst, MA
Why Choose The DIEP Group
- Board-certified microsurgeons specializing exclusively in natural tissue reconstruction
- High surgical volume across New England – over 200 DIEP flaps performed yearly
- Surgeries performed locally at Baystate Medical Center
- Compassionate, patient-focused approach with personalized planning
- Full insurance coordination and support
- Lifelong, natural results that restore confidence and comfort
Serving the Amherst Community and the Pioneer Valley
The DIEP Group proudly serves women from Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Sunderland, Leverett, and the greater Pioneer Valley, providing natural, insurance-covered 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 Amherst, MA, and want to learn more about natural, insurance-covered DIEP flap breast reconstruction, contact The DIEP Group today.
The DIEP Group
Surgeries performed at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA
203-200-0828
