DIEP Flap Reconstruction for thinner people in SF Bay Are

I don't know of any surgeons in the bay area but I lost a lot of my reconstruction fat during chemo and while I have a little fat they can take from my thighs, I really just need to gain some fat back. I am trying to figure out how to do that with the least benefit to the cancer.

the reality is you may just have to travel to do the DIEP. And the reality is the vast majority of us travel for it even if we have more tissue to work with. It’s really not that big a deal to travel for it. The hardest part was making the travel arrangements. This is not like getting your appendix or tonsils removed where any old surgeon will do. This requires highly skilled microsurgeons. With that being said, just because a PS is qualified to do the surgery doesn’t mean he’s good at it. Before & after photos tell quite the story. Believe what you see in those photos. NOLA has plenty of photos of ladies on the thinner side for DIEP and SGAP. It’s 100% worth the travel.

llomita- the list is just the list of insurances they contract with. That doesn't mean you can't go there. Most of us have “out of network" status and we have to pay a little more copay but that's it. You won't know how much your portion would be til you call and talk with Vicki in insurance. She will get your insurance information, contact them, get the reimbursement numbers then tell you what you would owe. Once she gives you the number, that's all you'll be responsible for regardless of what your insurance pays compared to what they bill. If you can have stage 1 done early enough in the year, you likely won't owe another copay for stage 2. Give them a call on Monday to get the ball rolling to see what it would run. Good luck!Keep me posted.

have you been to the women’s cancer center at Stanford? They have lots of surgeons that specialize in this microsurgery. I was offered many different choices of flaps the diep, lat-flap, there is a thigh and gluteal flap. All tailored to your situation. Might be worth a consult.

PM if you want more in

After my lumpectomy I visited a plastic surgery because I think down the road I may have a prophylactic mastectomy. I always thought I was too thin for a flap but the PS said  I had enough fat for one foob. For reference, I am 5'4 and at the time 120 pounds (now 125) - I am a 32DD.   

llomita- is there a PS that does DIEP or SGAP that is in network for you? If not, you should be able to request an exception and have an out of network covered as in network.

Llomita - soon it will be open enrollment time and maybe you have the option of choosing a new carrier? My employer offers BCBS and Aetna and I switched to Aetna since I knew they were in network for Nola (among other reasons).

Llomita,

You can have the mastectomy with a tissue expander and that will give you more time to make a decision/find someone and you won't be a uniboober. That's what I did.

R