Which is riskier for serious complications DIEP or TE recon?

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9lives70
9lives70 Member Posts: 127
edited January 2017 in Surgery - Before, During, and After

recently an acquaintance I know died of a blood clot a week after surgery which of course has freaked me out! I've been researching and finding contradictory results regarding whether or not tissue expander reconstruction or DIEP procedures are more risky especially for serious risks like blood clots or heart attacks. Anybody have any stats they can share? It seems that the DIEP is a lot more involved with a far longer time under anesthesia which just seems more risky to me than

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  • mustlovepoodles
    mustlovepoodles Member Posts: 2,825
    edited January 2017

    I think it's apples and oranges. Complications of any surgery, even minor surgeries, can include bleeding, infection, breathing problems, tissue death, blood clots, heart failure, stroke, even death. Both choices can require multiple surgeries.

    Putting in TEs is a relatively easier surgery. However, there is the risk of your body rejecting the material, developing serious infection, and capsular contraction. TEs need fills regularly and implants have to be replaced every 10 years, more or less.

    DIEP surgery is a much more involved, much longer surgery so issues with anesthesia can be a more of a problem. On the other hand, you cant reject your own tissue. DIEP surgery is usually done in two stages, at least 12 weeks apart. The first stage is the big one, where they move the belly tissue to the chest, and it can last 6-12 hours. The second stage is when they do shaping, fat filling, and nipple formation and it's about 2-3 hours.

    Do your research. Only you can decide which is right for you. Best of luck to you.

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