How do you know what you will end up looking like after recon?

mitzi458

Not sure if there is a thread for this already, but I wasn’t sure what to search for.

I have met with three different PS so far who all have a different opinion on how to proceed with my delayed recon. But I keep wondering (and I will ask at my next meeting with whoever I go with), how do you know what kind of breasts they will give you? Shape, position, etc. Have you shown them photos of what you WANT to look like? Or do you just trust them to give you whatever they feel is best? I asked one doc if I was going to have cleavage and he almost got embarrassed or something and stuttered a bit before he said, “No...you won’t have cleavage with a DIEP flap. And certainly not enough to hold a pencil in-between if that is what you are looking for!” I haven’t seen my breasts in over 10 years so can’t even help him with “before” photos. I don’t remember what they looked like!

So I’m curious how you ladies ended up with the size and shape and projection, etc, that you did.

Thank you all! I don’t know what I would do without this board, both when I had cancer and now with my reconstruction

Peacetoallcuzweneedit

Hi Mitzi -

I did not have a DIEP Flap - I had double mx, tissue expanders, and then implants....Mitzi I just trusted my PS on this...I was overfilled on my last visit before the implants, and I was very worried that they were going to be too large....so I just kept saying more of I what I didn't want vs what I did. ( I told him I did not want to have a shelf or them sitting too high. I told him I wanted to have a natural drop like I would for my age.) I still have no nipples...that is the next step...and I think the choices for nipples are causing more stress vs the implant process....

I think he was the first and only doctor throughout this entire experience that I just said "ok - do what you do...make some new foobs for me please." I bucked him at first and he just let me go through the process, and when I realized I was going to do exactly what he suggested on the very first visit, I think I just relaxed. (well I'm not sure I'm really relaxed - I'm working on that)

Beatmon

My PS spent 2 hours with me on initial visit. Showed me many pictures. For my body size I needed larger than I have due to not enough skin. The shape is ok, not like a real breast....but so much nicer than what the initial surgeon left me

Lula73

Mitzi- I would look at the surgeon’s before & after photos of women who had delayed DIEP that have a similar size/shape to your body. That will tell you a lot. Ask the surgeon how they determine size & shape. Show him what you want from his pics. The thing you will need to remember is that stage 1 of DIEP is all about transferring & establishing blood supply. It’s during stage 2 that they finalize shape and size.

mitzi458

Thank you ladies.i already had two meetings with two surgeons and they flew through their photos and we never discussed how it would relate to what was best for me. I don’t have time to see the surgeon again who I’m scheduled with next week. Maybe I should just bring some photos to my surgery and hand them to him?? Lol. But really. The third surgeon never showed me any photos, although I see his photos online all over the place, and I think he has a great eye (but I don’t know if it will work with timing and money).I wish I could just go to NOLA but I don’t think I can afford it. : /

I really appreciate everyone’s help! Not sure I could do this without this group of amazing ladies!