Anesthesia Recovery Fat Grafting Breast Reconstruction

Anesthesia Recovery Fat Grafting Breast Reconstruction Anesthesia recovery after fat grafting breast reconstruction as well as for phase one DIEP flap breast reconstruction have  similarities.  I will, however, focus on my most recent experience, phase two and the fat grafting portion of breast reconstruction. Anesthesia Preparation The routine for this surgery includes check-in at the hospital, dressing into surgical garments, and being wheeled into the surgical holding area to talk to your physicians before surgery.  It has been my experience that the first physician you speak to is the anesthesiologist.  The anesthesiologist will go over your health history.  One of the key topics they ask you about is your tolerance to anesthesia and if you experience nausea when waking up from surgery.  This is a dreaded side affect for many going into any type of surgery. I have been very fortunate waking up nausea free from phase one and phase Continue Reading →

DIEP Flap Surgery: Day one, Phase one

Check-in It was still dark outside the morning we left for phase one of my DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery. We were told to be at the hospital at 6 a.m. Monday morning following Thanksgiving weekend had to be a good day for surgery. My surgeon had time to be with his family, enjoy a feast and be all rested up. It was a new week and a brand new month, December 1. We arrived at the hospital and signed all the paperwork for check in. The wait wasn’t too long but the room we waited in was the typical sterile, hospital environment, fluorescent lighting with CNN on the TV. They had coffee available but nothing for me, thank you very much. I had been on complete fasting since midnight. They took us up to another smaller and quieter waiting area where all patients were checked in and waiting to Continue Reading →