DIEP in NY

Linda, women in their 60's and 70's have had DIEP and have done just fine.   It's a big surgery, but it is all superficial, with no entry into body cavities or loss of muscle, so it's very well-tolerated by most women.    Yes, there have been failed flaps, so your choice of a surgeon is critical.   There was a failed flap at St. Joseph's Hospital in Los Angeles this past week, and one of my flaps nearly failed.  The overwhelming majority (for instance, over 99.5% with the top surgeons in NOLA) survive and thrive.  The odds are hugely in your favor that you will do just fine if a DIEP surgeon has determined that you are a candidate.

Take a look at this site in NY.  They're on Long Island, I think, and are supposed to be good.

http://breastreconstruction.org/

HI - I didn't use Dr. Keller - but did you try to call his office and ask for the names of two or three of his patients who would be willing to speak to you? My new PS on Long Island is a doll - you'll find him at www.breastreconstruction.org. I did hear through the grapevine that Dr. Keller is highly regarded.......not sure where I read/heard that.........I've been bouncing around the internet for so long now - and talking to so many doctors - I know his name came up favorably. Good luck and I hope you'll get a good report on Dr. Keller soon!

My surgery was done by Dr. Jane Petro of the Institute for Aesthetics at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, NY.  NWH has private rooms.  It is a first-rate hospital.  She just retired from the practice to be the Medical Director of the first burn/recon/cosmetic only hospital in the world - in Dubai.  Check out her website: drjanepetro.com.  She was an angel.  I will still be receiving care by the practice.

I grew up in Westchester, and have lived all over since.  My parents were health care professionals and I worked in post-graduate academic medicine managing Continuing Professional Education Programs.  I worked at NY Medical College in Valhalla, affiliated with Westchester County Medical Center, and 30+ affiliates in the tri-state area. 

I had two breast surgeries at WCMC years ago.  I had been in NWH when I was a kid.  I had opinions done at Sloan and University of Vermont.  I was at my endo at Columbia last week.

A good resource to check on anyone in any specialty is Castle-Connolly Guide.  Hudson Valley magazine, Westchester Magazine, etc. also rate physicians. 

If you have any questions, let me know.

Can you give any suggestions for coming home after at DIEP?  Special clothing, or aids that really helped.  I have heard of people wearing a binder around their torso for support.  Did you feel like your abdomen was going to bust open at all?  Do you have feeling in your abdomen or is it numb?  Thanks

GES, take a look at the breastrecon site referenced above.  It has all sorts of suggestions for how to prepare for after surgery.  Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm only slightly younger than you and had bilateral mast/DIEP with Dr. Smith at Beth Israel in NYC last fall. My BS was Susan Boolbol and I think they are both top notch. Dr. Smith also operates with BS Michael Osborne, who is also very highly regarded. You can take a look at the online video Nordy was referring to by going to www.marksmithmd.com       Scroll down to the bottom of the page under "Other Links" --fhe first one is "DIEP flap--view live surgery." Click on the top one for the hour long version (interview with Smith, see the surgery--it's a little gory so you might want to look away in parts!) --the "Preview" underneath is just a 5 minute summary of some things related to DIEP. There are some women on the video who talk about their DIEPs --one definitely looks like she's in her 60's. And I've heard of many women who are older than you who have had successful DIEP (or GAP) surgery.

 Based on my experience and talking to other women who used Dr. Smith before I had my surgery, I would definitely recommend him. But I can't comment on how he compares to the plastic surgeons you have on Long Island, closer to where you live--I've heard good things about Dr. Keller but don't know anyone who used him. And SwimAngel definitely researched her PS a lot before using him. If you can find someone who you're totally comfortable with closer to where you live (rather than going into NYC), I think that would be great. Things to consider when deciding how comfortable you are........speak to the plastic surgeon's patients--are they happy with him? see photos of his work (sometimes you can even see his "work" in person); how many has he done (it should at least be hundreds); what is his track record (should at least be 98-99% success rate); are you confident in the breast surgeon he operates with? Are you happy with the hospital he operates in?  I'm sure there are other things to consider, but those are some that come to mind.

In terms of Sloan, there's a woman who posts here who had her surgery with  PS Dr. Babak Meherara and was very happy with him--Momtogreyhounds. Maybe she'll see your post and chime in--she had DIEP with him previously and just used him for TUG. Maybe do a search for him on this site and you'll see what she wrote about him. 

 Dr. Robert Allen, one of the pioneers of the DIEP also operates part-time out of NYC--if you do a search you will find a lot about him. He operates with BS Michael Shapiro or Amber Guth at NYU, which is supposed to be a great hospital too. 

Good luck! I know it's hard checking out all your options--I was doing the same thing this time last year. 

Dr  Monica Morrow  is the chief of breast surgery at Sloan thats who was recommended to us. She's a surgical oncologist. She was very thorough, very up to date on studies and highly recommended for her surgical skills - she was a little aloof but I can accept that to get the best surgeon. We dont have a plastic surgeon yet - see the doc next month to determine lumpectomy vs mastectomy and options. If you need as medical oncologist Tiffany Troso at Sloan Rockville Centre has been a godsend. She explains the options very clearly, is very patient with questions and has been so supportive in every way from the examinations, to adjusting meds to even filling out those pesky forms for work. I honestly cant imagine if we hadnt found her.

Nancy - I also had my mx and reconstruction done at the Institute for Aesthetics at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mt. Kisco, NY, but it wasn't with Dr. Jane Petro. Can I ask you what kind of breast reconstruction you had done and when? Is Dr. Petro a microsurgeon who can perform Dieps?

Unfortunately for me, my PS did NOT give me the promised Diep, but a muscle-sparing free tram - and I ended up with an abdominal MRSA staph infection at Northern Westchester. Anyone who wants to know the dirt on Northern Westchester Hospital - feel free to PM me - suffice it to say, I do NOT recommend this hospital to anyone planning on Diep surgery. And for anyone contemplating ANY surgery, please visit www.hospitalinfection.org to eduate yourself about the real risks of MRSA and C-diff infections.

Linda, I don't have personal experience with Sloan (didn't take my insurance) but I've heard from a number of women that they limit the number of consults you can have with each type of specialist. So if you start out with one plastic surgeon there and they don't do the type of reconstruction you want, you might not get to see another. And supposedly, certain breast sureons only work with certain plastic surgeons. Again, this isn't firsthand knowledge but I've heard this many times from women. The woman that had her DIEP/TUG with Dr. Mehrara is also from Long Island and used Dr. Lisa Sclafani as her breast surgical oncologist..........she saw her out at the Commack Long Island facility but had her mast/DIEP with her and Dr. Mehrara at Sloan in NYC. Unless you have other doctors in mind at Sloan, that might be a good way to start for you. You could see the surgical oncologist right on Long Island and know that she works with an experienced DIEP PS.

Hi Jody - maybe we'll bump into each other soon! In May I had my Stage 2 free-tram revisions  with Dr. Israeli (who's in the same practice with Dr. Feingold.) He also helped with my abdominal hernia repair - and will be doing a "Stage 3 - nipple etc" revisions soon. I'm happy you're doing so well at three months! Did you get a bi-lat Diep?

Nancy - Dr. Israeli is very easy to reach on Long Island (easier to reach than the docs in Manhattan). His office is in Great Neck, just over the bridges - off the LIE - check out his web site:  www.breastreconstruction.org

He's very meticulous - he did lipo my abdominal area during my surgery -  you should definitely call his office. He's out-of-network for all insurance companies, but willing to work with you. Good luck!