DIEP Reconstruction

LovesPrimes

Doing a search yields next to nothing for recent discussions of this procedure. I am scheduled for DIEP reconstruction three days before Christmas and would appreciate hearing about others' experiences and advice. And, even if there aren't a lot of responses, maybe this thread can become a more current repository of information for future searchers!

Gsleeves4

Hi! I hope your surgery was a huge success! I am facing my own double mastectomy immediately followed with my DIEP Flap reconstruction on Monday, February 5, 2024. I have purchased all the items required for my post-op care and ready to have the Cancer to be gone (which is in both breasts). The recovery is scary with not knowing how my body responds to the surgery. Were there any issues that arose for you that caught you off guard. I appreciated any feedback you may have. Thank you.

LovesPrimes

@Gsleeves4 First, welcome to these boards. As with each of us, we're glad you're here but so very sorry for the reason.

When I was having to make all my decisions, I asked about mastectomy and DIEP at the same time, but the surgeon recommended against it. So, for better or worse, my mastectomy and placement of tissue expanders was mid-May and reconstruction was end of December. I think there are pros and cons either way but I can only speak to my own experience (as is true of anyone here).

I hope to be honest but not scare you. The most important thing is that come next week, your cancer will be out. It wasn't until two days after my mastectomy that I could bring myself to look and I cried hysterically. There is no preparing for it. Cancer sucks. It just does. And this will be a significant loss and you need to let yourself grieve. Physically, they tell you that you won't be able to reach up or down, but it is amazing how long the limited range of motion went on and how many things are up high or down low. For instance, even using the restroom at the doctor's office, I couldn't hang up a bag but didn't want to drop it to the floor and not be able to pick it up. I couldn't hang up my tops so I kept laying them down wherever I could find. Things really piled up. I had a small hole open up in one incision and a worrisome spot on the other that looked to not be healing well. They actually booked the OR to go back in but with increased wound care, they both came around. But both were slow to heal and I had post-op appointments every week or every other week for 4 months after that surgery and was in OT until two weeks before this one.

For the DIEP, I didn't fully grasp that the abdominal incision would be from hip-to-hip. I expected a sizable scar but more in the scale of a woman who has a C-section. And everyone says how well everything is healing but I hate the way things look right now. I'm trying to tell myself I have to do a lot more healing before I can judge. And then there is also the issue that I may never accept these strangers on my chest until I can do the medical tattoos.

I wish you well and for everything to go smoothly. Please feel free to ask any questions.

I also recommend that you check out some posts on this blog that I found: https://nancyspoint.com/?s=diep

Best wishes.

KimberlyBurrell

Thanks for sharing, I have DIEP surgery scheduled for the end of March and I’ve been nervous and anxious about it.

LovesPrimes

@KimberlyBurrell I hope everything goes smoothly for you and you have a speedy recovery. Please feel free to reach out, here or DM, with any questions.