D.I.E.P. Reconstruction - rib bone piece now in my belly

I saw my plastic surgeon today, found out something interesting that I thought I'd share.
I've completed the D.I.E.P. reconstruction after my mastectomy, and a breast lift on my other side, and was back to the surgeon today to plan the final small surgery to form the nipple.

I was reading a newspaper article posted on his exam room wall. It described another woman who went through a bilateral D.I.E.P. procedure, and the doc placed a piece of her rib bone elsewhere in her body for a final procedure.

I was so surprised at this, I did not understand, so I asked my doc today as to what it meant. He had finished his exam of my breast lift healing, and it sounded like I reminded him of something. He said, "Oh yeah", did we leave a rib bone in your belly? (I had 2 surgeons doing the D.I.E.P.) So he looked at my tummy tuck belly scar. And he said, Yes, I had a piece of rib bone tucked right behind the scar. I knew I had this odd lumpy spot which I was about to ask him about, but no idea it was this.

You can tell I knew nothing about this, just thought I'd share the info. I found out the small piece of bone is meant to be used to create the rigidity of the nipple. We decided it's not needed in order to match my other side, and so he'll just remove it with my next op.

It's so interesting that they'd "store" a "piece of me" in my body for later use!