Can you get DIEP plus an implant to match other breast?

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Rioghnach
Rioghnach Member Posts: 11
edited February 2019 in Breast Reconstruction

Hi guys,

I am wondering has anyone had the DIEP done and then had an impant inserted in the DIEP breast also so that it matched the other breast?

Thanks

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  • Mucki1991
    Mucki1991 Member Posts: 294
    edited February 2019

    I did not I had implants then I had to remove them so I had diep done but it is possible.

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  • Rioghnach
    Rioghnach Member Posts: 11
    edited February 2019

    Thanks for replying.

    I had an implant on the right but it had to be removed as the skin was too stretched over it and couldn't heal. It looks like I have the option to try again with a tissue expander or else do a DIEP instead. I got a second opinion from a plastic surgeon and he said he did not think I would have enough fat to match the other breast (which still has an implant). That would be great if it is in fact possible! I will see another plastic surgeon about it.

    How did you find the DIEP surgery? Any long-term problems with mobility or strength? Was the recovery long?

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  • Runrcrb
    Runrcrb Member Posts: 577
    edited February 2019

    interesting question. I will respond with what an extremely gifted and well regarded plastic surgeon told me. She could match two implant breasts beautifully but an implant would never match a natural breast nor would an implant match a flap (diep or other type) breast

    One of the reasons i stuck with unilateral was risk of complications affecting the healthy breast

    Would you consider a smaller implant on the side where you didn’t have complications?

    The surgeon who did my diep told me to bend over in the shower and grab the belly below the bend - that is how much fat there is to work with in DIEP I didn’t have enough for two the same size as my original ones and he used much of what was there to build the one

    I found DIEP surgery and recovery easier than mastectomy I am probably an outlier in this but it was true for me

    Good luck




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  • Mucki1991
    Mucki1991 Member Posts: 294
    edited February 2019

    I did not "sail" through deip but I also did not have wound healing issues or complications it just sucked... If you are concerned about not having enough belly flat a good surgeon can do a stacked flap. This can involve adding an additional flap from another part of the body such as the butt. I probably should have went this route however my butt is the only part of my body left without scars... Figured my BF needed at least one view that didn't look like frankenstein lol. Keep in mind that having rads for me made all the difference in the world with how good it looks when your done.

    No strength issues because muscles are not cut. I have adhesion issues to I'm always keeping this loose by stretching those problem areas. I was ok by about 9 weeks out but my tummy tightness was not relieved until my phase two tummy scar revision.

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited February 2019

    My DIEP was an excellent match to my good side I didn't have an implant but they used all my abdomen tissue. I didn't have enough to do both sides, I chose a left side mastectomy. Luckily my right side is still cancer free.

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