Hi
I was told yesterday I need a mastectomy and they have offered me an implant or DIEP and wondered if anyone had any strong views on good and bad of either. My instinct is telling me to go for the implant due to it being so much easier and it feels like less can go wrong, but is this the impatient option?!
Should I look at the longer term view of what the breast will look like for longer? I have fairly small breasts and don’t really show them off much so them looking amazing isn’t that big a deal and I don’t have a very big tummy so how do they get enough fat!
Hi Snowie
Firstly do not fear the op, it is fine and not too painful.
I had a recon in Aug, taken from fat from my tum which is a DIEP.
My plastic surgeon says that this gives the best result.
They say 8 weeks recovery but to be honest I’m fine now 3 weeks later.
AND I now have a very pert boob and a flat tummy.
I hope that this helps.
xxxx
Hi Snowie,
I agree with Sozza123, Dont fear the DEIP Flap op. My PS said its the ‘4 star’ best results, and its over and done with. Implants can leak and eventually need replacing but of course it is entirely upon the individual what choice you eventually make. I’m small too, infact my PS said I could have done with putting on weight! He still managed to harvest enough tissue to do the recon (last October) and I’m so pleased with the result. I took a little longer to fully recover, no complications but just different patients react in different ways. There is a thread for DEIP Flap, type it in and you can read the comments from the other ladies.
Hope this helps
Hugs Chrissyx
I am having a delayed DIEP reconstruction - but am having implants in the interim. I have met with a few different surgeons and plastic surgeons (have the luxury of this as am having chemo prior to surgery so it bides some time).
All of the surgeons and plastic surgeons I have met say DIEP gives the best long term results - and I have met 3 girls who’ve had it done and were happy to share - and they looked fab - like proper boobs. The first lady hadn’t had her nipples or anything done - so with her scars it looked a bit strange as my first “viewing” but the others had nipples and nipple tatoos and looked fab.
My last plastic surgeon explained that the implants aren’t the same as implants that the celebs etc have as they have an implant that pushes forward the breast tissue. If you have a mastectomy you don’t have any breast tissue left - so it’s litereally just plastic that they say feels very cold and plasticy. They also need to be replaced over the years unlike the DIEP - although the DIEP involves longer and more surgery at the beginning.
Your BCN should be able to show you some implants and you could have a good feel. Maybe you could go for implants first and if you’re not keen, swap to DIEP at a later date…?
I am having delayed recon and my surgeon is very keen for me to have the LD flap with a permanent expander implant … I have a couple of months to think about it … I don’t have big boobs and am very active and he thinks this is the best choice for me … I did ask for the tummy flap but he’s not keen and doesn’t think I have enough tummy… I do!!!
I’ve only just read your post, but was struck by the “how do they get enough fat”. I had my DIEP 4 years ago and to recreate my 32E, they did a “double DIEP” which was using all the tissue and piggy backing one lot on top of the other and put also put a small implant in to the side to make up the difference. Two years later, I had a prophylactic mastectomy on the other side and had an IGAP reconstruction, which is using the underside of my buttock. This ended up being quite a bit smaller than my DIEP side, so I had a tidy up op which entailed removing the implant and liposuctioning the fat from my DIEP boob and putting it into my IGAP side.
I now have a great cleavage and I’m very glad I had it all done; I really think your own tissue gives the best result. I’m also very happy not having an implant and the fact that my smaller boobs are pretty much like the ones I had in my 20s - I’m now a B cup and all my bras have nice little straps!!