Starting reconstruction during Chemo?

teaka123

I am 62 and had a a skin and nipple sparring mastectomy (left breast) the first of June. Surgery and recovery went excellent. I plan on having DIEP surgery.

This last week I saw both my MO and PS. Visit with the PS went well and we scheduled my expander placement surgery for mid-July. He said it would not be a problem if I am undergoing chemo at the time of the expander placement. Later in the week I met with the MO who said Chemo needs to start in the next week or two or it will have to wait until two weeks after my expander surgery. Both MO and PS are within the same provider group and have access to the same medical information for me.

I cannot schedule the DIEP procedure until expander procedure. PS is scheduling DIEP into January of 2020 now.

MO has my treatment listed as Taxol w/Herceptin for 12 weeks followed by Herceptin for one year.

I will check in with my BS on this, but would like to hear any thoughts on this from other DIEP or otherwise reconstruction BC friends.

I need to find out how soon I should have expanders put in place or does it matter?

I welcome any feedback!

DX 4/15/19 - DCIS, Left 5.6 cm Stage 0 Grade 3

DX 6/3/19 - IDC .7 cm, Stage 1, 1B, 0 nodes, HER2+

Surgery 6/3/10 - Skin & Nipple Sparring Mastectomy. 1 Sentinel node removed (clear)