DIEP Appearance

You could also check out Vinnie Myers site. He does three d nipple tattoos but has a lot of pictures and the type of recon is listed on the picture. I have implants, they look great but I will alway be able to feel them under my pecs.That feeling takes some getting used to.

I'm happy with my DIEP.The originals were pretty saggy, so this is definitely an improvement (I'm 54).

I didn't have implants, so I can't compare, but I don't think I would have liked them. Many, however, are very satisfied with them.

My new breasts are soft, warm and full. I have great cleavage and they look wonderful in a bra. My DH says they "feel " very much like a natural breast. Naked, of couse there are the crop circles and missing nipples, but I'll be having stage 2 soon. I'm surprised that the scars are fading as fast as they are!

The flat tummy was certainly a bonus for me, losing it has made me feel so much better about myself. 

The lack of sensation in both the breasts and the tummy area is really weird, but it continues to improve.

I did look at many photos online and that helped. Also, understand it takes time to heal, so what you see in the first few weeks is not the final results. 

Good luck with your decision. Perhaps a second opinion will help.

I had a BMX with immediate DIEP reconstruction 3 years ago.  It was a very long surgery with a long recovery time.  While recovering, I questioned my decision on a number of occasions.  I thought I had made a mistake choosing DIEP.  However, now that everything is done (nipples and tattoos), I'm sure I made the right decision for me.  My breasts look so natural.  They feel warm and soft.  I saw my primary care dr recently who hasn't seen me in two years and she was very impressed.  She forgot for a moment that they weren't original equipment.  My husband is happy as well.

I also stayed local. I live in PA. It is convenient having your doctor close by if possible. I've had several follow ups with him over the past few months, next week I go again to discuss stage 2! Tats will be done in the office. 

On the other hand, many have to or choose to travel and it seems like this can all be coordinated,  which is great. I didn't consider this option because of the extra cost of travel.

I had both types of reconstruction, implants and then DIEP.

I unfortunately was not told about DIEP when I was diagnosed in 2012 at my local hospital. They don't do that surgery, actually anywhere in my state. They offered Tram but when I was told my abdominal muscle would be cut and it usually only recovers 40% of strength that didn't appeal to me.

So I had a BMX with immediate expanders and then supposed to have implants after fills completed.

I had a terrible infection in left expander 3 weeks following surgery which required they remove it. II underwent five months of chemo and then after I was strong enough they put back in left expander, right had finished being filled before chemo.

I got another low grade infection after my third fill which kept me on antibiotics two months. They finally cultured the fluid around the expander and with the right antibiotic took the risk of removing both expanders and placing silicone implants. It worked. I was on IV antibiotics for a month but the implants did not become infected.

Unfortunately, I hated them. I had constant pain and it felt like rocks in my chest. My pecs were always sore from being stretched over them. I even had small implants to minimize that pain, barely a small B size but I found them so uncomfortable.

I think it may be because of all the infections and my body not being happy with a foreign object because many women do not have that discomfort with implants.

I finally chose DIEP and removed implants and had it done at one of the top centers in NOLA. I didn't have a choice of having it close to home so figured with having gone through four surgeries with implants I wanted to go to a place that does DIEP all the time.

I had stage 1 Dec 10th. It is a rough recovery, mostly the prolonged fatigue got to me after four weeks but by 8 weeks post op I was visiting and lifting my grandson who is 26 lbs and my energy was really improving. After 12 weeks from stage 1 I had stage 2 back at NOLA. They did someday grafting to fill inshapingthebreastand lowered and smoothed out my abdominal scar. That was two weeks ago and I feel great. Stills one have all my energy back but I feel good and have no pain.

My DIEP Breast feel fantastic,they are back under my pectoral and are so soft and warm and move. I had no complications from DIEP and did with implants so that could be why it I am so happy I did this. They feel a part of me. I kept them smallish, they are a full B cup now and I love cuddling my grandson against my soft bosom.

Everyone is so different. My one recommendation is if you choose DIEP find surgeons who do a lot of them. It is a big, complex surgery and I think that is very important.

Best of luck.

Julieho

Well, it's a pretty personal decision. I don't find my implants "uncomfortable, cold or hard". They are definitely firmer than my natural breasts were, but they aren't exactly rocks either I am very active and my implants do not cause any pain or discomfort. Not that my experience is everyone's, but people DO have DIEP complications too, just different kinds than with implants

I did have a revision last week, to swap the implants, to try and correct some rippling on one side but I have had two very smooth surgeries and easy recoveries (my first surgery was BMX direct to implant)I now have anatomicals and think they look pretty darn good. I was able to have nipple sparing, as well. DIEP was never really an option for me because, for one, I don't have the tissue for it (I am pretty small and lean though I've always had naturally larger breasts and wanted to have similar or only slightly smaller again...30E...which my tummy could NOT give me), didn't want the extra surgical site or to alter my tummy at all, have the longer recovery time, and honestly I've also had a couple close and personal observances of people close to mewho did not have glowing DIEP outcomes and/or recoveries...so I admit was slighty jaded (even if I did have the tummy to spare).

However, I have also heard some very positive DIEP stories, and seen some very good results. Just as I have also seen less successful implant stories and outcomes. I really don't think there is an ideal reconstruction that suits everybody or that one should always choose one over the other...as said, it is a personal decision, but it also is dependent on your own body, desired outcomes, tolerances for length of surgery and recovery, and so on.

I mostly posted here to say the Picture Forum is a fantastic resource....while there are more implants than flaps, there are still lots of flaps.

Of course everyone's recovery time is different and all surgeries have the potential for complications, my recovery was not too bad. I took 5 weeks off from work. I was tired when I first went back, but I think a lot of the fatigue came from chemo. The first two weeks after surgery I didn't function too well, but after that I was able to cook and do light household chores.

My surgery was 13 hours, longer than expected because there was some trouble getting blood flow on one side. I got "foot drop" on one side from compression to a nerve in my leg from the surgical boots, but I had some PT and all is well now.

There's a recovery time for all surgeries, don't let that influence your decision.  What's more important is how you will feel about your body in the long run. There's no "best"recon option, just the one that feels right for you.