DIEPflap Breast Reconstruction: Aesthetic Questions to Ask Your Plastic Surgeon
DIEPflap breast reconstruction & aesthetic questions to ask your plastic surgeon involves more than you may have given much thought to. You have had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. You have tested positive for the BRCA gene and are facing the decision to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy to significantly decrease your chances of getting breast cancer. Perhaps you are even going in for a consult to repair damage done at another practice and are looking for better results. Now you’re researching and thinking about breast reconstruction options. You found a board certified plastic surgeon with great skill and a high rate of success. The consult appointment has been set up. You write down as many questions as you can and hope beyond hope you will be given the time to have all of them answered. Your main concern might be moving beyond the diagnosis or possibility of getting cancer if you are BRCA positive. It was for me.
The Natural and Aesthetic Beauty of our Bodies
The truth is, you simply won’t think of everything at your first visit. This is an important consult and I want to share with you points of discussion and what to ask your surgeon about the aesthetic outcomes of your surgery.
Honoring our Bodies
The aesthetic work alone done on your body during this intensive surgery is extensive and complex. Here is a list of questions I hope will help in the discussion with your plastic surgeon if you’re having DIEP flap breast reconstruction. I will speak specifically to this procedure since it is what I had done and what I can reference through my own experience.
The List of Aesthetic Questions … The More You Know
- How long will my abdominal scar be?
- How high up will the scar be on my “new, flat, tummy”? If I choose to wear a bikini will it show? Fair question!
- What will the scar look like after surgery; a year from surgery? A qualified plastic surgeon knows about the progression, makeup and life of scars. Ask! Scars heal differently for everyone depending on your skin color, elasticity, lifestyle, and in particular if you’re a smoker. If you’re seriously considering DIEP flap surgery, stop smoking now. It is a must for this surgery.
- What will the scars on my breast look like? Will they be straight? Curved? Thick? Thin? Where will you make the incisions?
- Where will the scars on my breasts be placed? A plastic surgeon knows how to strategically hide scars for wardrobes. Remember, a good plastic surgeon is a perfectionist and artist. They generally have a keen eye for body contouring and outcomes for this surgery.
- How will the size and shape of the flap change for phase 2? The scars and incisions on my flaps were revised during phase 2 and were far more aesthetically pleasing than they were after phase 1. Speak with your plastic surgeon before your phase 2 surgery if there are any revisions you would like to have done and if he can achieve this during phase 2 surgery.
- Will I need physical therapy to help heal the scars to avoid adhesion and maximize the outcome and appearance of the scars?
- Will the skin from my belly used to make the flap be the same color as my breast when it is transferred to make the new breast mound?
- How about tummy hair I have now before my #DIEPflap? Will it be on my new breast flaps? If so, what can I do about it? Electrolysis or any other suggestions?
- I have some divots (areas of small shallows on your chest after a mastectomy). Will these go away or look better after my reconstruction? This will depend on how much breast tissue you had removed and if you are a delayed or immediate reconstruction.
- What kind of stitches can I expect and will they be dis-solvable or not?
- What will my belly button look like? Can you explain to me the process of rebuilding my bellybutton?
- How long will my belly button take to heal and when can I see it?
- Will my pubic hair line be changed? Trust me… the pulling up and pulling down of the abdominal wall will change the line of pubic hair. It’s a fair question and the change is one many women are surprised by after surgery! Your plastic surgeon has probably been asked these kind of intimate questions. Remember, the are physicians working with bodies. But, this is YOUR body. If it matters to you the question should be asked.
- For those who have had a NSM (nipple sparing mastectomy): Will the color of my areola change after surgery?
- For those who did not have NSM: If I have my nipples rebuilt what will they look like? Will they have the “headlights on” look all the time? Again, I’ve spoken to others about this concern. It’s a fair question, ladies! Some like the look and some don’t.
- What size bra cup will I be after reconstruction?
- How will my breast look after phase 1 and how will the look improve or change after phase 2 when symmetry and fill from fat grafting is done?
- Will I be able to wear under-wire bras to “enhance” new cleavage?
- Will my breasts be soft, warm, and natural feeling?
Those facing a mastectomy who are affected by breast cancer should be focused on treatment of the disease first. But if you are considering breast reconstruction the aesthetic outcomes of DIEP flap breast reconstruction should be included in the conversation with your plastic surgeon during consult.
After recovery and healing has taken place, the aesthetic outcomes of your DIEP flap breast reconstruction will matter to you! Ask the questions.
