Reconstructive Surgery and Weight Loss

fight2survive
fight2survive Member Posts: 15
in Breast Cancer #1
I will be having reconstructive surgery late next spring/early summer. The current plan is to have the DIEP Flap procedure -- they won't know if I qualify until the actually cut into me and check out my veins.

The plastic surgeon said that based on my current available fat/skin he can get me to a C cup, which is great to me. I was a D/DD before.

I am roughly 25 - 35 pounds overweight. He asked if I was losing weight or had plans to lose any. I told him that I would like to lose some weight. He said that if I did it would affect what size he'd be able to "re-build" for me.

So I have some before and after reconstructive surgery questions.

I don't think losing 10 - 15 pounds would greatly affect the size he can re-build for me. Any input from the Pinkies on here?

Post surgery questions

1) Since rebuilding is with my own fat (tissue) and blood flow is to the tissue, how does weigh fluctuation affect the rebuilt breast?

2) With the DIEP you get a tummy tuck with it, I assume with any tummy tuck, that you have to maintain your weight to maintain the effects from the "tuck". Does anyone have any experience with the DIEP Flap procedure?

Thanks!
Michelle

Comments

  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #2
    No recon for me but it
    No recon for me but it definately makes sense (to me anyway) that weight loss (or gain) would have an effect on the recon. Weight gain/loss effects non-surgery breasts size so would think it would on surgery also. Just my thoughts. (I'm almost 3 yrs out from UMX and have lost a fair bit of weight during that time - just had to get new bras to fit but my pros is still quite 'doable'.)

    Good luck - someone will have some answers for you

    Winyan - The Power Within

    Susan
  • mamolady
    mamolady Member Posts: 796 Member
    #3
    surgery
    Michelle,
    Prior to having recon, I talked to my patients that have had recon. From those conversations my understanding is that with the flaps you get the same results as your own tissue when it comes to weight loss or gain. If you loose, they loose, if you gain they do too. I just had the surgery in August and so I don't have any personal information for post surgery.
    Prior to surgery, I asked the doc what effect loosing weight would have. He said it would have little effect. I only had enough for barely an A before loosing weight and that is what I ended up with after loosing about 15 pounds prior to surgery. I had bi-lateral so that limited how big I could go.
    The nice thing about surgery is it also helped with weight loss. I was on a liquid diet for the first couple of days after surgery. They wanted to monitor the blood supply and if I had to go into surgery, I couldn't have food!
    Then after surgery, I had to wear a binder around the belly for the incision. That really limits how much it takes to fill you up too! Once I can get back to my normal activity level, weight will be easy to maintain!
    The surgery was a bit more than I expected but I am very happy with the results. Please be sure to let some one take care of you after surgery for at least the first week home!

    Good luck,
    Cindy

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