Weight Loss After Diep Flap

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Jmora22
Jmora22 Member Posts: 11
edited December 2019 in Breast Reconstruction

I had a bilateral mastectomy in April and am having a Diep Flap in December. I’m having a really hard time deciding what size I should go with. My surgeon said I could be any size I want.

I’ve been on Weight Watchers for the past few months but after the surgery I’ll still have around 40-50 pounds to lose. My surgeon said after the Diep Flap, my breasts will fluctuate with weight loss or gain. I feel like I should go with a bigger size than I actually want just in case I do lose weight in my breasts. Surgeon also said she could make them bigger or smaller after they’re healed but I’d rather not have another surgery if I can avoid it.

Has anyone experienced the same issue?

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  • Yuuki
    Yuuki Member Posts: 47
    edited August 2019

    Hi Jmora,

    I had somewhat of a different issue since they put me into menopause on Lupron. My family history is that the bra size goes up - a lot - after menopause, so I wanted to go on the small side since I expect my proportions to change even though the breast tissue is gone. You might want to think about where you are more likely to gain or lose.

    My surgeon did tell me that the fat tends to behave like it did at the donor site, which helped tip the balance for me from SGAP to DIEP. My belly fat was pretty stable, but my backside is the first place I gain. Just a thought.

    I hear you about the second surgery, but the first is the biggie. Most DIEP ladies do end up with more than one. Best of luck to you!

    yuuki

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  • LAstar
    LAstar Member Posts: 1,574
    edited December 2019

    Mine ended up bigger than I'd hoped for both of my surgeries. I don't think breast surgeons understand the word "small." I never felt like going back for more surgeries. I have a DIEP breast and an SGAP breast. When I lose weight, my DIEP breast shrinks faster than my SGAP breast, which is the same case for my stomach fat and hip fat. I hope everything goes well!

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