DIEP Program
Welcome to the Moving Beyond Cancer DIEP Program
Your DIEP Flap Recovery Pathway
Your recovery journey is divided into phases designed to support healing, restore function, and build confidence after surgery. Each phase includes:
✓ Prescribed exercise program
✓ Recovery guidance
✓ Key milestones
✓ Progress check-ins
✓ Criteria for progressing to the next phase
Program Phases
Important Reminder
Recovery following DIEP flap reconstruction is highly individual. Surgical techniques, tissue healing rates, pre-existing fitness levels, and potential complications can all influence your progress. While this pathway provides an evidence-informed framework, you may move through the phases at a different pace depending on your individual recovery.
Get Personalised Support
For optimal outcomes, we recommend completing this program alongside an Accredited Exercise Physiologist from Moving Beyond Cancer. Your exercise prescription can be tailored to your recovery, progressed safely, and modified as needed.
📍 In-person consultations: Camberwell, Victoria
💻 Online consultations: Australia-wide via Teams
What is a DIEP Flap Reconstruction?
In a DIEP flap procedure, tissue from the lower abdomen (tummy) is used to reconstruct the breast shape. The abdominal muscle is left in place. The blood vessels are brought with the abdominal tissue and reconnected to the chest wall.
Disclaimer: Every reconstruction is unique. Depending on individual circumstances, some people will have one breast reconstructed, while others may have reconstruction on both sides.
Who is this program for?
The Moving Beyond Cancer DIEP Program is for people preparing for, or recovering from, DIEP flap breast reconstruction.
This program is for you if you:
Are planning surgery and want to prepare your body
Have recently had surgery and aren’t sure what’s safe or normal
Feel “medically cleared” but not yet confident or functional
Want clear, phase-based guidance to rebuild strength and movement
Are seeking expert support from Accredited Exercise Physiologists
Suitable for all stages:
From pre-surgery preparation through to long-term rehabilitation.
Whether you’re at the beginning or further along and still not feeling like yourself, this program gives you a clear, structured pathway forward.
Start by completing your Baseline Assessment to find your appropriate phase and begin your program.
Why did we create this resource?
We built this program because we repeatedly saw women who:
Felt alone in the early stages of recovery and were unsure where to turn for guidance
Received exercise advice that focused mainly on shoulder range of motion and walking, with little support for abdominal recovery, posture, and whole-body function
Developed preventable issues such as frozen shoulder, shoulder tendinopathies, ongoing pain, and persistent postural strain.
Aims of this program
Our goal is to help you regain:
Full shoulder range of motion
Strong, upright posture and confident movement
Whole-body strength, including safe, comprehensive abdominal and trunk rehabilitation
We will also teach you what to watch for, and how to reduce the risk of longer-term limitations such as:
Cording
Lymphoedema
Shoulder tendinopathies
Ongoing muscle and joint pain
Deciding whether or not to go ahead with a DIEP flap reconstruction?
If you have found yourself here, you have most likely already made the decision to have a DIEP reconstruction post mastectomy.
If not, BCNA have an excellent resource to help make the decision. https://www.bcna.org.au/resources/surgery-and-breast-reconstruction/
