Category: DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

Father’s Day 2024 with Fond Memories and Love

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When I think of the stories others have told me about their dads it varies greatly. This Father’s Day I look back at some of the great influencers, dads I have known in my life. Not everyone has fond memories of their dad, but this is a day set aside to honor those who are privileged enough to call themselves dad and will celebrate Father’s Day 2024 with fond memories and love. My Dad It is only fitting that I begin with a tribute to my own father who sadly is no longer with us. Dad had four daughters. He anguished at the loss of my older sister, Mary, who lived a short, brief time after birth. In those days, bonding with a lost child in hospital was not something practiced yet. They quickly whisked the baby away from my mom who carried Mary full term only to be lost Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Surgery In New Orleans at CRBS

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Have you searched endlessly perhaps days and weeks, for a microsurgeon to perform breast reconstruction? Access to care is a real concern for patients who are affected by breast cancer. Finding a plastic surgeon who specializes in tissue reconstruction in the area you live in is not always a service afforded to all patients. Traveling for breast reconstruction is not out of the ordinary. It was something I did myself for my DIEP flap. This is a summary of the DiepCJourney podcast. I interview one such surgeon and practice breast cancer patients travel as we discuss Breast Reconstruction Surgery In New Orleans at CRBS, the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery. Why Dr. Zafar chose Microsurgery and Breast Reconstruction I interview Dr. Sarosh Zafar, a double board-certified microsurgeon in plastic and reconstructive surgery and general surgery. She specializes in the most advanced methods of breast reconstruction, complex reconstruction, and microsurgery. She Continue Reading →

A Patient Story: Transitioning from Implants to DIEP Flap

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Whether you have had a breast cancer diagnosis, have a genetic mutation placing you at high risk of getting breast cancer, have had or are facing a mastectomy due to either of these situations you will want to listen to this episode of the DiepCJourney podcast, A Patient Story: Transitioning from Implants to DIEP Flap. The time has come to share a personal story of a woman I interviewed twice about her decision to have a prophylactic mastectomy and implant reconstruction. This is the continuation of her Journey. She came to a decision to exchange the implants she never quite felt comfortable in and transition to DIEP flap breast reconstruction and use her own tissue this time around. An Unexpected DIEP Flap Reunion with a Friend Margaret Tueller Proffitt has a delightful Instagram account and describes herself as a lover of books, learning and travel. She is a Mom to four, Continue Reading →

Should You be Telling Someone What Kind of Reconstruction to Have?

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There are a few layers to peel back when answering this question. It goes without saying I am referring to those affected by breast cancer and are facing a mastectomy. Whether you are a surgeon, patient, family member, or friend, should you be telling someone what kind of reconstruction to have? Understanding the Overwhelming Shock I see some differences but more similarities when I speak to women who are at high risk of getting breast cancer than those with an active diagnosis. Those who are at high risk of getting breast cancer are a those who have a genetic mutation. The first step is knowing your family history. This will be followed by a visit to a genetic counselor or oncologist to begin formulating a plan that might include: People who have just received the news they have a breast cancer diagnosis have considerations for planning their treatment that can Continue Reading →

The Value of the Co-Surgeon Model in Breast Reconstruction

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This episode of the DiepCJourney podcast covers two very important topics. It includes the value of the co-surgeon model in microvascular breast reconstruction. We will also tackle a subject matter I am not an expert on but have a great deal of experience in. I will admit it is an uncomfortable topic for me because I am not an expert. The topic is insurance coverage in breast reconstruction. I want to say that I have NOT come to understand the complexities of insurance but have gained a great deal of empathy for those in the breast cancer community who deal with these complexities, and that includes patients and surgeons. My guest, Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo, discusses the value of the co-surgeon model in breast reconstruction and insurance coverage concerns. Why this Topic and Why Now? I have chosen this topic not to appear to be controversial. It is a topic that Continue Reading →

Challenges, Accomplishments, and Understanding the Worth of Being A Caregiver

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A guest blog by Richard A. Coutee I asked our oldest son to write a guest blog about his experience with both my breast cancer diagnosis and my recovery through DIEP flap surgery. I cried when I read it. He hit the mark on the challenges, accomplishments, and understanding the worth of being a caregiver. In his words… My First Challenge as a Caregiver In 2001, I was a freshman at Washington State University. I remember a chilly day in January, I was in class shortly after returning from Christmas break. The professor teaching the class that day paused when a teaching assistant came in and handed her a note. “Richard Coutee? You need to call home as soon as you can.”  I was embarrassed that I was called out in front of everyone and wondered what news was so important that it couldn’t wait for me. That’s when I Continue Reading →

How to Host a Breast Reconstruction Community Gathering

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I want to extend a note of gratitude to the members of the DiepCJourney private Facebook page for their inspiration writing this blog, how to host a breast reconstruction community gathering. For the readers, this is a community of learning, support, and sharing. I began “The Journey” Facebook group in 2015 before starting my nonprofit, DiepCFoundation. Now, this community has become an integral part of the Foundation work. I am inspired daily by their curiosity about breast reconstruction surgery, support for each other, and the friendships made along the way. You can see on the Advocacy page I recently held a community gathering of local Journey members. I want to share some tips on how to host your own breast reconstruction community gathering. Tip #1 for you Breast Reconstruction Community Gathering Ask yourself why you are having it. What purpose do you want to accomplish? It might be for the Continue Reading →

The Rewards and Risks of Traveling for Patient Advocacy

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Let’s dispense with the not so good news first. It is far less than the good news I will write about regarding the rewards and risks of traveling for patient advocacy. The Risks of Traveling for Patient Advocacy Patient advocates I know go into this work with their eyes wide open when they travel to conferences or events for their work. We know what can and sometimes does happen. I wanted to talk about these first because they are short-lived risks. The fallout from any of the above items passes in a brief time. We deal with them as they happen knowing we will return to our advocacy work in no time because of dealing with any of the above-mentioned events. The Rewards of Traveling for Patient Advocacy This is the real magic sauce of being a patient advocate and traveling on behalf of the communities we serve. My work Continue Reading →

Tapping into Resilience in the New Year

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We can write down, talk about, and make all the New Year’s resolutions we want. However, what will sustain us throughout the year is our resilience and responding to situations that set us back or cause us to change direction in our lives unexpectedly. How are you going to be tapping into resilience in the New Year? When Life Events Become a Catalyst to Tap into Resilience There are distinct types of events in life that can cause us to pivot, adjust, and do our best to move forward. I am speaking about health events. A sporting accident, a catastrophic car accident, or finding you have a disease that could either take your life sooner than expected or change your life forever. These are only a few examples of life events that cause one to reexamine how they are going to deal with things moving forward. My experience dealing with Continue Reading →

Achieving Symmetry and Understanding Fat Grafting in Breast Reconstruction

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This is a summary of the video and podcast interview with Dr. Tim Matatov of Southwest Breast and Aesthetics in the Phoenix, Scottsdale, Arizona area. When I see hundreds of views of a video and close to two hundred podcast downloads I also like to provide a written summary for readers to hit on all learning modalities and preferences. I will include the YouTube video of Achieving Symmetry and Understanding Fat Grafting in this blog post. You can listen to the podcast here: How Mastopexy Achieves Symmetry in Breast Reconstruction We begin with a topic that is often asked about in the breast cancer community served at DiepCFoundation, mastopexy in the setting of breast reconstruction. A mastopexy is a breast lift. Dr. Matatov points out that whether a person has a single breast reconstruction with their own tissue, and implant, or oncoplastic reconstruction, sometimes the contralateral breast will not match Continue Reading →