Need to know ASAP how painful is DIEP

I had a double Mastectomy and immediate DIEP done on Monday May 22nd of 2017. I was dancing at my cousins wedding on July 25, 2017. I was 47 years old at the time and a non smoker. I would do it again in a heart beat. The reason I went this route was because I didn’t want to have to change out implants every 10 years or so. Mostly numb and my stomach skin was super tight, which was a bit annoying. I was in the hospital from a Monday to a Saturday. First few days in hospital I was in pain but by the time I got home I was fine 800 milligrams of Ibuprofen was all I needed

check out the 2018 diep thread- there is good bad and ugly there. I was one of the good. Nothing stronger than Tylenol beginning the morning after surgery. For me easier than mas

Both my reconstructed breast and my abdominal area were totally without feeling even long after the initial healing I think that is why there was not any pain. Also no muscle was used just tissue.

The feeling very gradually came back, even now, after 7 years +, there are numb spots. It is amazing to me after all this time the nerves are still recovering I have more and more sensation as time goes by.

I’m two weeks out today so I can’t speak to long term effects but I can say that I have found the pain manageable. The first day of getting up and walking & going bathroom was unpleasant. The same was true after bmx and after c-section. Everyday has been better and I take Tylenol in the evening at this point. Fingers crossed that it continues going smoothly. Good luck whatever path you choose

I am 5 weeks out, I did have pain the first couple of days were hard because I can't take any of the stronger pain meds and once things got ot of control it was hard, eventually they decided to give me a pain med that I am mildly allergic to with iv benadryl and things were much better. The other thing that was hard in the hospital was walking hunched over, I have had a bad back since I was in my 20's and walking hunched over caused severe muscle spasms in my back. When I got home I started taking the prescription I have for when my back is spasming and things got much better quickly. My incision is not numb, I wish it was as it has opened in 6 places and is sore but not horrible. I would still do it again.

I have seen some pretty awful after effects incision opening up pictures. I am glad I didn't see them before my surgery. I am not sure why this is happening to people also some people have bloated stomachs afterward.

Make sure you feel confident in the facility and the surgeon.

I just completed this process at UPMC- Magee Womens Hospital. Had DIEP flap done 9/10/19 - delayed reconstruction after having radiation therapy on left side in 2008. I was told by a couple of plastic surgeons that there was no way I could get DIEP or implants done after radiation for inflammatory breast ca. So I did not pursue it. This surgeon said it was certainly possible but it would take longer to do the microvascular surgery thru the scarring. I have great results now. Had less pain than when I had 2 C-sections decades ago. Only used Percocet a couple of times at home. It was just discomfort really. And itching as the abdominal incision began to heal. Had 6 weeks off work and really made an effort to rest which likely helped. Had breast reduction on the right side in January and it also was just discomfort, as compared to the broken shoulder I had the year before. And it was all worth it.