Diep 2012

well its 10pm here in the uk

i go into hospital tomorrow and get the op thur

i will keep you ladies posted on how i get on xxxxx

Good luck, Alison! 

I have a bmx and free tram reconstruction on the same day. Surgery date is scheduled for 2/8/2012. Nervous but have seen this surgeons results and know many people in the breast cancer community that have recommended him. Dr. Brenda Simpson is my bast dr. And Dr. Beegle is my plastic surgen that will be working on me at the same time. I am looking forward to getting it totally done.

Good luck Allison

Good Luck everyone. I am scheduled for DIEP Jan 18th. I had a bilaterial masectomy with immediate reconstruction Nov 2010. Once I found out I had to do radiation after chemo I had the expanders removed and elected to wait on the DIEP reconstruction. Dr. Craigie and Kline will be doing my surgery at East Cooper Medical center. I am very anxious to know how long the surgery will take since I have already had my masectomies?

Good morning all,

Has anyone found anything regarding if there is a greater risk in a long .surgery versus a surgery of short duration?    I'm really wanting to go with the DIEP but I keep getting flack from those close to me...and their concerns echo my own (long surgery, recovery, lots of "cutting"...greater risk for infection?) but in my heart I want this natural approach, I want to feel like my foobs are more real than not.   How are each of you coming to peace with the risks (and are they as big of a risk as it feels)?

Julianna51, I did the DIEP in December and was a little unnerved (more than worried) about the length of the surgery. The preadmission exam included lots of checking to ensure I was in condition for the length of the procedure, including ECG, questions about my cardiorespiratory endurance, etc. The anaesthesiologist has a mutual interest in us waking up and closely monitors throughout the procedure. From the patient's perspective, the duration is not apparent. I did really, really want a nap as soon as I came out of anaesthesia, and was not interested in all the chitchat, but then I felt the same after my C-section with epidural. Physically, the long anaesthesia was very relaxing. Beats all the massage and acupuncture I've been having for the past year to try to get the stress knots out.

The hospital stay (5 nts for me, typical 3-5) was an advantage because the bed was easier to sleep in than the furniture at home and there were qualified nurses and medical staff checking on me, and 3 of my 4 drains were out before I went home. The last drain came out after 2 days at home. In contrast, my umx was a morning admit, home by lunch deal, and I had a drain for 2-3 weeks, checked daily and then alternate days by a minimally qualified healthcare aide who gave me an infection. This time, when I developed an infection, I was still in hospital and on IV, so I could have the antibiotics administered by IV drip. Some hospitals give the antibiotics routinely for prevention.

The DIEP cutting is sewn up by a plastic surgeon. I suppose that's the same for other PS reconstructions. But it is noticeably a more comfortable incision than the umx stapled up by the BS. Obviously, I am still stooped over somewhat because my front is not stretched out yet, but all things considered I am pretty comfortable. The day before I left the hospital, I did laps around the ward (about 5km in sets of about 1km). I walked on the treadmill for an hour at just under 2 weeks post op. I have a half-marathon (which I am sure I will walk rather than run) at 6 weeks post op.

The DIEP seemed to be an elegant solution to reconstruction, and everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly, but I worried about the catch. I finally started to relax when I did not oversleep and made it to the hospital for my 6:00 admission, and when I rolled into the OR and saw all the lights and my CT scan on the computer monitor and all the surgeons and fellows and nurses, I felt more at peace than at any point in the past year and a half. Everyone has their own values and priorities, but that was my DIEP journey, anyway.

When I first consulted with my former BS and former PS on having DIEP, I was told the BMX with DIEP would be 6-8 hours of surgery as the two surgeons would work in tandem.  And the PS would have a colleague working with him, too, on the DIEP.  Now that I've had the BMX and will "just" have DIEP, I would expect the surgery to be shorter.  My new PS (from Brigham & Women's) works in tandem with her partner, so again I would expect something like 4 hours. 

I just scheduled my consultation for March 8th.  I am finishing radiation next week (just 5 boosts left, hallelujah!) and I think I want to plan on the surgery to happen at the end of August.  I want/need/ to enjoy my summer after being in treatment since June 2010.  And I want my family to be able to enjoy summer, too.  This will give my skin enough time to heal, and give me time to get in shape.

By the way, I am 5'2" and weighed about 125 when I was told I had enough tissue for a "B" cup on both sides.  I've lost a couple pounds since then, so I'll be trying to make sure I don't lose any more weight and maybe gain back what I lost.  I had my first consult after finishing chemo and was told I qualified.  My first PS (in Kansas City) told me I was too thin and I weighed a bit more, so my guess is that "enough" is in the eyes of the beholder and the skill level of the surgeon.

Hi all!

Just popping in here to provide some info from the main Breastcancer.org site on DIEP Flap reconstruction.

Hope you find this helpful!

--The Mods

Pamonymous - after my DIEP my surgeon said he could have given me a third breast. (He only constructed one, as I did a Uni not Bi)

I had unilateral delayed DIEP June 27th and my surgery was 8 hours.  My mom was the first one in the waiting room in the morning and the last one to leave in the afternoon.  It was more unnerving for her than it was for me.  They do watch you very closely.  I lost a lot of blood and my blood pressure dropped really low to the point that they gave me two units of blood the first night.  I never lost consciousness and I felt fine, but my PS had to come back and was in my room for over an hour that night. 

I would do it again.  The pain was not that bad, and I like my reconstructed breast much better than a prosthetic or an implant I think.  I am not totally symmetrical (even with a lift on the other side) because it is a little flatter than my natural breast and does not have the droop.  However, I am fine in a bra and my new areola and nipple reconstruction are beautiful.  I have had 4 surgeries and it took almost a year for the entire process.  Because the breast had been radiated, I had a TE put in, 6 wks to heal and 6 wks to fill.  The actual DIEP surgery and time for it to heal, then a tattoo of the areola, lift of the natural breast, and finally lipofill and nipple reconstruction.  I am a teacher and scheduled the major surgery for the summer so it has worked out great.  Good luck to all of the 2012s.  Get started as soon as possible, because it does seem to drag on forever!

Beacher - yes