Anyone out there happy with DIEP surgery experience in Toronto?

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Katalin
Katalin Member Posts: 230
edited June 2014 in Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer

Hi all,  Still trying to find info on your experiences with DIEP surgery in general...I'm having this done with Toni Zhong at Toronto General...with Doctor Hoffer...double DIEP...

Any thoughts or advice?  I keep hearing we should travel far (NOLA is what I keep hearing about from our US counterparts)...Any thoughts?

Much appreciated!

Cheers,

K 

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  • Beesie
    Beesie Member Posts: 12,240
    edited March 2009

    What a shame you haven't heard from anyone about Dr. Zhong.  I did look her up.  She just joined TGH recently and has been a full-fledged surgeon only since 2007.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, since she would have spent years as a Resident working under other doctors and learning the latest procedures. It appears that her first stint after her Residency was on a Microvascular and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship at Sloan Kettering.  She may have done lots of DIEPs there but because she was on the fellowship, it's possible that she was not the 'name' surgeon so women who had a DIEP at Sloan Kettering might not realize that she was the one who actually did their surgery.  Just a possibility.  http://www.surgicalspotlight.ca/Article.aspx?ver=Winter_2009&f=NewStaff

    While I don't know any more than that about Dr. Zhong, I'm pretty sure that some of the women here have had DIEPs done by Dr. Hofer. The reason that you read so much about NOLA on this board is because DIEP surgeons are few and far between - there simply aren't surgeons who do DIEPs in many parts of the country (in either Canada or the U.S.).  So if a surgeon isn't available locally and you want a DIEP, then you have to travel to get it done.  And if you are going to travel, NOLA is the place that's best known for specializing in DIEPs. One of the advantages that we have in being in Toronto is that there are surgeons available who do every type of reconstruction. 

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  • Katalin
    Katalin Member Posts: 230
    edited March 2009

    Wow!  You're good, Beesie!  My research abilities are not so good!  Well, I suppose being at Sloan Kettering is no joke.   She said she has been specializing in this, and has done hundreds...I tried to post on this topic twice before, with little results, so I thank you for responding.  Ironically, it's Dr. Hoffer who will be helping *her* on this one.  That's reassuring.  I guess we're pretty lucky to have access to her. Wait times for her are not long at all.  A week for my first appointment, then about 4 months (could have gone sooner, but it wasn't good for my schedule)  I'm nervous that I haven't heard of anyone's first hand experience, but what you say makes perfect sense.  THANKS!!

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