Diep 2012

Tammy- I understand - its so hard to learn that when I did all my research, I didn't come across hardly anyone who had a failed diep. And then the ps feeds you with he has only ever had one fail and that was cuz the pxs child accidentally hurt the mother and caused the diep to fail. S when u hear this and then hear. Of all the wonderful ladies who come out of surgery saying it was a great success, u get the biggest knock down when urs fails, why me ???? It's the same question we ask about Breast cancer....why me?! I'm doing the te route and this time I'm aware due to my radiated skin a high chance of failure. I'm preparing for it, but as long as I've given it my best shot. I really do feel for u as when you have explored both techniques....all I want to know is why did my vessels keep clotting, when u have answers we can move on...but sometimes it's hard to get this. If my te fails, I will perhaps look for other techniques, but take a yr off. My body can't handle it. But I'm not going to give up . I will take time off to get over this bad experience.

Red,

I wish I could just give you and Tammy both a big hug. I'm glad that you are going to take some time to heal, both physically and emotionally. Then, when you are ready, you will find what will work for you. It just sucks because this is supposed to be the "good" part of it. Hang in there. Be gentle with yourself.

Mary

Tammy-no he didn't but prob becuz he put the implant in and we didn't explore. If anything changes then for sure we will do more testing.

My theory is that my skin on that side was heavily radiated and hence the vessels are week to facilitate good blood flow. Perhaps they were sticking to the walls of the vessels.

I just wished that when it happened twice, he find a diffent area away from radiated side to get the vessel. He just kept on reconnecting the same vessel after irrigating it and clearing of any blood clots.



He suggested on the 4the surgery to cut a small section of ribcage, expose a vessel and use that. But....it was too late, flap died.

Hey I had my first fill today and I do see a little tiny boob developing ...yay

Tam - what point did urs fail

Someone a while back mentioned her PS harvesting a portion of a robust vessel from another part of the body like an arm and transplanting it to the chest for DIEP. Also it is my understanding that it's common practice to use a rib resection to support the new flap tissue.They part the cartilage to get to the vessel. Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone.

They never mentioned that they tried another vessel so I have no idea if they did with me or not. That is something I will have to ask tommorrow when I go.

Sadie- Thinking of you, try to enjoy some of this nice weather before your surgery.

I had rib resection... and I have also read of some women who get an extra vessel from the arm... My PS is now doing the DIEP II, where if the vessels are insufficient, he can tease extra vessels away from the muscle to have added volume without compromising the muscle... just too cool.

TEXASROSE- The only things I can think of right now that I used of my own and couldnt go without was chapstick, cell phone and charger, my own pillow (theirs were so uncomfortable) and my ipod came in real handy at night when it was noisy on the floor.

Good Luck, will be thinking of you.

Here's an account of my DIEP surgery from the 25th of January in case you have any questions about what may happen during your surgery:

My surgery was scheduled for 7:30 am on the 25th of January, but we had to be at the hospital by 5:30 am to check in and get prepped.   We arrived at the hospital at 5:10 am and at 5:30 am, they took me back to prep for surgery.   They didn't want my husband to leave the waiting room without letting them know.  

Prepping for surgery consisted of asking me lots of questions about my health, previous surgeries, medications, and any negative reactions/allergies.  My reconstruction surgeon drew on me where my new "breasts" would be positioned, where my belly button would be located and where my DIEP flap should be cut.    She then took pictures with her camera (e.g., frontal and side positions) presurgery.  They gave me a gown, compression stockings, over stockings, started an IV drip, and confirmed my blood type.   

At 7:00 am they brought my husband to see me.   At 7:30 am, they wheeled me away to surgery and by 8:30 am a nurse informed my husband that they had started the surgery.   They didn't want my husband to leave the waiting room without letting them know.   Once in a while someone would report to him how the surgery was going.    He reports that the chairs were uncomfortable and that the waiting room filled up as the day wore on.

After 5:30 pm, my primary surgeon called my husband to say there were out of surgery.   She explained to him that everything had gone well on the right side, but that the blood vessel (on the left reconstruction side) was spasming.   Evidently, it would work and then stop.   She emphasized to him that this wasn't dangerous to my health, but only to the transplanted tissue and that they might have to operate again.   At 7pm, it was apparent that more needed to be done.   One of the other doctors came to see me and my husband.   He hexplained that they wanted to try to save the left flap.   They brought my husband back to see me once more.   I had already heard from the doctors separately as they had explained what they were going to do to try to safe the left "breast" flap.   I consented because I wasn't about to give up yet and I didn't want to try the surgery again in the future.    I had many friends and family praying for me and for that I was so grateful.   I was praying as well.   For the second time that day, they wheeled me away for another surgery.   They told my husband it could take up to two hours.

 About an hour later, the primary surgeon came out to my husband and said that they couldn't find any issues.   However, while they were in there cleaning up the tissue they saw that the blood vessell would start and stop.   She told me that they had cleaned out everything and had essentially redone the surgery on my left "breast."   They flushed my circulatory system with medicine to make certain there were no clots.   She said that they would put me on blood thinners (i.e. Heparin) to help the blood flow and wanted to monitor me overnight.

 They also put me on Dilaudin for the pain.   I did feel sick post anesthesia and they gave me Zofran to help.   I also began having terrible acid reflux from lying down.   At some point, they let my husband come see me.   I was in the post surgery recovery area with lots of monitors on me and the "right breast" flap.   Between 2 and 4 am, they move me to my ICU room.

I was checked at least every hour.   This checking was in addition to the various monitors-at least four maybe five-- one monitor massaged my legs to prevent clots; one small sensor was on my right "breast" monitoring the blood flow; one monitor checked my vitals - oxygen, pulse, blood pressure; one monitored the administration of the IV drugs.    On the morning of 26th January, my entire surgical team came to visit and check the blood flow.   They were all really happy with what they could see, but they wanted to keep me in bed for a while to give me and the flap a chance to recover.    The day of the 26th and the 27th, my throat was very sore and I couldn't talk.   This was because of the oxygen tube.   The nurses brought me Chloraseptic and that was like a miracle drug.

 This hourly monitoring and checking & blood draws continued until the morning of the 27th of January when they shifted to checking me every two hours instead.   I had two IVs.   One with saline/potassium.  The other was Heparin.  My blood pressure was really low - 69/35.   They kept giving me Viagra - yes, you heard this correctly - to increase my blood pressure.    It didn't really come up to more normal levels 100/60 until Monday, 30th of January.

Basically, I was in my hospital bed until mid morning, Monday, 30th of January, with two IVS, one catheter, four surgical drains, and a sensor on my right breast along with the clot prevent inflatable stockings.    They took my blood pressure on my right leg since no one would use my right arm for any procedures as that was where I had two sentinel nodes removed during my BMX last fall 2011.   My expected hospital stay went from 3 to 5 days and I am so grateful for the extra care and attention to prevent the flaps failure.

It is now 3 days later, Thursday, February 2nd.   I am starting to get some sleep but am still very weak from the surgery.   I didn't realize how much harder this would be than 3 C-sections, one radiocardioablation srugery, and a bilateral mastectomy.   If was as if all those surgeries were combined and I was hit by a Mack truck and then run over again.   I don't think I would be able to endure this type of surgery again.   It was been rough on me and our family.   I also experience hot flashes in the hospital and since I've 43 guess I am a lot closer to menopause than I thought.

Each day is getting a little better.   The pain is slowly getting better, but my energy levels are really zapped.   My husband has been a saint by my side for the past few days, watching over me, advocating for me, emptying my drains, and bathing me.   My sister and sister-in-laws are saints and angels who watched and cared for our 3 children for the past 7 days when neither I nor my husband could.   Our friends from church (LDS/Mormon) have brought our family meals.   Other close friends have checked in with us by phone and email.   Some have sent flowers.   We feel so blessed.

I have drawn so much strength for your posts and encouragement here.   My thoughts are turned to each of you who will be undergoing or have undergone breast cancer treatment and surgery.   You are strong, amazing women.   For me, it has been as if God's angels were revealed in their earthly form around us.   I can testify that there are many wonderful women and men around you waiting to serve, support, and heal you.   My prayers go out for your healing in body, spirit, and mind.

Much love to you!!

Janet

Janet, Thanks for sharing your DIEP experience, I had mine performed Jan18 and was in NO WAY prepared for the pain! I have had a hard time but it is getting better day by day! I am very pleased with my results but the emotions this surgery brought up for me were intense! After, my bmx, chemo and radiation I vowed I never wanted to feel defeated like that again and of course this surgery made me feel helpless for awhile. I never expected I wouldn't be able to wipe my own butt (finally can as of yesterday) LOL!! I know I would do it again because of how pleased I am with the results but I am terrified for stage 2. Today has been 2 weeks and 1day since my surgery and am pleased to say I got dressed, put on makeup, fixed my hair, went out to lunch and then to Target. I am worn out but sooo much father in recovery than I was 1 week ago. Each day gets better than the one before so just hang in there and many prayers and love to everyone!

Kasey

@tamlyn110 - YAY!!  Gives me hope.   I've got the 4 drains until at least next week.

@Kaseymomto2BOYS, I'm so glad to hear that you are getting better each day.   I didn't realize that the surgery would kick me emotionally back to the breast cancer diagnosis stage.  Yes, there is a lot to be said for wiping one's butt.   I forgot about the D*&n constipation too.   That was beastly.   It sounds like you are doing great.   Keep up the recovery & healing!

 @jstunme - I am pleased with the result (if you can accept staring in a mirror at a stapled foob and a stitched foob).   My surgeon had warned me that they would be small (not really pronounced), but since I started out small I wasn't too concerned.   The new foobs are warm and surprisingly firm and after  not having had breasts for the past 4 months, I am surprised at how heavy they feel.   I can't wait til they heal up and I get tattoos.  I don't think I'm going to add a nipple.   I'm  very petite (5' 1") and my new look is just so slightly smaller than the 34b I started with.   The tummy incision is quite gruesome and my kids cringed when they first saw that.

Some of you have mentioned having incisions closed with staples. I had no staples with mine, just dissolvable sutures and surgical super glue. I had no incisions open back up. I'm curious. Am I in the minority here? Did you all have staples? How long did you have them before they were removed? Any problems with stapled incisions?

I had surgical glue and internal stitches. Mine just looked like lines with some scabs. Unfortunately, my yoga pants rubbed on the middle of my belly incision and made it come open (couldn't pull up my pants because of the drains but they slipped up anyway). When I asked about staples in my pre-surgery consultations, the PS and BS both looked absolutely horrified and chorused, "We don't use staples!"



L

I had staples- I've got this hard area of tissue under one section of abdominal scar....anyone else experience this

I did have a similar tape like saran wrap about 6" wide over the abdominal incision too, and it was bloody and gory looking and the homecare nurse said it should come off so she confirmed that with doctors orders (about the 3rd day after I got home) and indeed it was very tidy inside. Both the ab scar and bellybutton were very dainty. The tape seemed to stabilize that incision and prevent stretching and possibly opening of the incision in the early going before it heals.