DIEP Ontario

Dr.chong and dr. Hofer from Toronto general hospital.

Sorry, I didn't have surgery yet, because i'm doing chemo now. The surgery needS preform 6weeks after chemo done. My BS told me she will arrange my mastectomy and reconstruction around mid or end of Nov. My case is complicate. I didn't get clear margin after 2 surgeries. So I need third one. I request BMX. I went to consultation with dr.hofer last Thursday. he offers diep at same surgery.

I had a Diep done Sept. 2008 by Dr. Brian Evans at University Hospital in London, Ontario.  He is a wonderful plastic surgeon.  I had a haematoma in the grafted breast and it required dressing afterward for the time I was on chemo.  I am pleased with the reconstructed breast after it all.  It is a good match in size and shape to my natural one.  The only drawback to this procedure is the long gnarly scar on your lower abdomen.  Chemo tends to put weight on you and you put on fat above the scar, so there is this bigger stomach above the scar which can seem like a ledge.  If I had it to do over again, I would wait until the chemo is done before having the reconstruction.  It would be much easier for your body to heal then.  Then I would probably go for a saline implant (never silicone!).  The less invasion of body tissues, the better.  Since the surgery and chemo, I have put on two sizes and am struggling to lose some weight, especially around that middle, just to get into size 14 stretchy jeans.  Good luck with whatever you choose to do!

Dr. Lipa is on Mat Leave and will return in September

1cb I am now 4 weeks out of surgery for diep. Dr Zhong was my PS. I am finally starting to feel normal . Still a little sore on the new boobs , tummy not too bad and I can sort of sleep on my sides now. My emotional state is off these days. A friend put it very well , she said that I have been so concentrated on healing the physical that my emotional has been ignored. I think my boobs are ok , it feels like a frankenboob but I know in time it will be fine. My tummy scar is huge but not horrible and I now get what others are saying about the dog ears at ends and a large roll above the scar. I will probably do the tattooing for nipples but right now where they are suppose to go are not symetrical so not sure how it will work. Hopefully there is still alot of swelling to go down and things will change. BrownwinJul I am wondering if you have heard about stage 2 , as far as the doctor is concerned I will only get tattooing but so many in the US talk about evening things out and other little surgerys to make it all work. Do they do that here? My first apt after surgery was last thurs and I only saw the intern which I wasn't very happy about. Feel a little pushed aside right now. Doubt it would happen in the US. 

Yes the wait was long and saw the resident. I do think her work is good but ....... I don't appreciate if she is too busy to see me personally. I have a few questions about nipples and such. I was not able to save anything for harvest and will probably tattoo but want more info and had 15 min and then told -- see you in 3 months. I am a freelancer and apts that are far away are very hard for me. I realize that I cant do much before that but I don't know just felt I needed more attention for a first visit after surgery. I have many more questions now and need answers. 

Diane31 that seems a long time ago. I was told to come back in 3 months to check and discuss nipple work. When you have a masectomy and recon you never need another mamo again on the breast that was done. I did both so that is a big plus to not have to ever do mamogram again. 

Today I have had very strong sharp pains on left side on my tummy. Not sure what it is. Maybe just healing pains.

yes pamdo I think the boobs will be ok , much better symmetry than I had. the nipple placement seems off but so much can happen later when tattos are done, I guess. The belly is a bit weird and I am hoping the ears at each end can be taken away. My tummy is much flatter though. I will just have to wait and see how it all settles in and heals. 

Pamdo if you get answers from Zhong let me know. jjl I hate that the residents and not the doctor come in for out apts. I actually told the secretary that I was not pleased and I understand that she is busy and has alot of patients to see but for my first visit after surgery i did expect to see her. When you make next apt make mention that you want to see your doctor and secretary can make it happen.

In the states the girls all seems to get stage 2 adjustments to fix belly and breast symetry. We can get breast adjustments but not belly. If you want that fixed you have to pay out of pocket. I can barely pay for my mortgage and groceries so the belly will have to be what it is. I hope there are exercises to help. Cheers to all of you. We have got this far!!

Wow,I was thinking about do lipo for updominal in future. Now I need reconsider. Dr.hofer's residents never told me I need pay for dog ears. They said they will fix that if I want, but I don't think I really need it. It's very tiny anyway...

Try massage your tummy with bio oil. I'm doing that every night when I watch tv. About a hour or longer every night. that workout well for me. My tummy look better in the morning. But bullfrog belly come back after dinner every night. Lol.... Well, hopefully we all look better when our tummy settle.

Good luck

I start to use bio oil about 2weeks ago. I met another plastic surgeon's secretary when I took my mom to see her gynaecology. They share office. I saw they have a sign to recommend patients use bio oil. So I started to talk to her. She said I can use bio oil ASAP when my incision closed. Because its mild. So I need massage 3-4 times a day... Anyway I didn't really follow, I did massage once a day. more than a hour. My scars look very light after almost 10 weeks post surgery and tummy is much soft now. But Up abdominal still big like pregnant.

I've had appointment with dr. Hassa in Barrie. She hasn't been here very long. She trained under dr. Amanda fortin, who was one of the first Ontario surgeons to do DIEP. They both trained with the Centre for Excellence in Winnipeg, where this procedure was pioneered. I was originally scheduled to have DIEP in London in 2009. One month before surgery I found a recurrence. Since then have had radiation and profalactic mx on left side. Have not been happy since both sides are so different. I am scheduled for DIEP in Barrie first part of July. I am scared and excited at the same time! This has been quite a journey. Yesterday was the 6 year anniversary of my original mx. My how time flies. Hope to hear more from those of you who have been through it!

Cheers.

Sherry

Geralyn: u will feel even better later. Scar will fade out by the time. For sure the bloating will go down.

I shouldn't complain my tummy before. I was too impatient. my updominal changed dramatically in last few days. It's look much flat now, I don't think I need lipo, finallyI don't look likes pregnant anymore... It's pretty mazing. I needs say thanks to Dr. Hofer. He did very good job.

I highly recommend him to our Ontario sisters. He worths me to wait.

shianne29 Yes the ab scar is pretty ugly but it will fade in time and I am much happier with using my own body then implants . so many women have had trouble with implants and they do need replacing in time. sounds like you have great boobs though!!