ps wont do tram till I lose weight

I would seek out a 2nd opinion with another PS.  Is this for a free TRAM or a pedicle TRAM?  It is true that being overweight does increase your risk of complications like flap loss, skin necrosis, etc, there are excellent surgeons out there who do these type of procedures day in and out and the rate of complications declines with the number of cases a surgeon does.  Have you thought more about getting a DIEP instead?  This is like a TRAM except they don't use any muscle.  I would avoid a pedicle TRAM at all costs - this is old school and really causes a lot of disability from what I have heard since they take the whole rectus muscle.

I also had multifocal DCIS and had a bilateral skin sparing mastectomy with immediate free TRAM reconstruction in April of this year.  I am also overweight (was size 16/18 at time of surgery) but otherwise healthy at 35 years old.  I wish that I would have had the DIEP versus the TRAM as the loss of those abdominal muscles does make a difference but my local PS told me (falsely) that I was not a candidate.  As it turned out, I did get pretty extensive skin necrosis probably due to my surgery being so long (14 hrs) and also I lost a lot of blood (blood count 15.1 -> 6.8 which is severe anemia).  I think both of these issues were related to the skill of the plastic surgeon I used locally as I have heard about other PS doing these procedures much more quickly.

Anyway, I am finally healing up (now 10 weeks post surgery) and have switched to a new PS to help me.  Although I have had these complications, I am happy to have gotten a self-tissue reconstruction as it does have the jiggle and cleavage that I had before and it feels like the breasts I had at 21 (firmer and less saggy!).  You should check out the breast reconstruction thread - specifically there is one thread called "NOLA in September" where the women are very up to date in the latest and greatest plastic surgeons in the country - they do talk alot about the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery www.breastcenter.com (full disclosure: Dr. DellaCroce is my new plastic surgeon who has his work cut out for him to put me back together from the first guy's mistakes) but I remember reading a post somewhere in there that talked about other plastic surgeons in the country (another one I heard about is Dr. Marga Massey who travels thru the country - her website is www.drmarga.com).  Anyway, take your time, and make sure you feel comfortable with the person who does your breast and plastic surgery - there are lots of options out there.  Don't undertake this and feel like you have to settle.  take care.

That's just crazy you should not be treated like that!! You will be fine.  Sent PM