London Robotic Breast Institute

Patient information on robotic-assisted breast reconstruction in the UK

Glossary — robotic reconstruction terms

These terms appear on LRBI pages. After the first mention we use the short form. For a wider reconstruction glossary, use Breastory.

DIEP flap

Deep inferior epigastric perforator flap. Skin and fat from the lower abdomen are used to rebuild a breast. The abdominal muscle is left in place. Blood vessels are joined under a microscope.

Robotic DIEP flap

A DIEP reconstruction in which a surgical robot helps free the abdominal vessels through a smaller opening. The reconstruction itself is still performed by the surgical team.1

Keyhole DIEP

A minimal-access harvest without a robot, reported in the UK in 2025 as a step before the 2026 robotic case. Press described a shorter internal opening than open harvest.2 It is not the same operation as robotic DIEP.

Minimal-access flap harvest

Any technique that frees the flap’s blood vessels through a shorter opening in the abdominal wall than a traditional harvest. Robotic and keyhole methods are both forms of this.

TEP DIEP

Total extraperitoneal DIEP. A research term for reaching the abdominal vessels from in front of the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity). Published robotic DIEP descriptions often use an intra-abdominal view instead.3 If you see “TEP” on a paper, ask your team which route they mean. LRBI pages use “robotic DIEP” unless a source specifies the route.

RNSM

Robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy — removal of breast tissue with a robot, keeping the skin and nipple. It is not reconstruction. LRBI mentions it only to keep those two operations apart.

Also on this site

Further reading on Breastory

Sources & guidance

Numbers and claims on this page have a numbered source. Open a number in the text or below to read it.

  1. reviewBishop SN, Selber JC, et al. Minimally invasive robotic breast reconstruction surgery. Gland Surg. 2021 ncbi.nlm.nih.govNote: Definition of robotic DIEP as robot-assisted vessel harvest.
  2. pressBBC News. New breast reconstruction procedure hailed ‘massive breakthrough’. 2025 bbc.co.ukNote: UK keyhole DIEP as a precursor, distinct from robotic DIEP.
  3. reviewThe full continuum of robotic breast surgery (mastectomy, DIEP, supermicrosurgery). Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2023 ncbi.nlm.nih.govNote: Published robotic DIEP technique described as intra-abdominal pedicle dissection.