Breast Reconstruction Clubhouse Discussion

This past week, I was fortunate to have Roberta Albany and Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo join me as moderators for a breast reconstruction clubhouse discussion.

Clubhouse is a fairly new app for iPhone users. The sessions generally last an hour in length. Think of it as a casual phone conversation with the members who join. It is not recorded, or at least does not have that feature yet. There are moderators who can invite those who “raise their hand” using an icon on the app to come “up to the stage”. They are invited to speak by a moderator when they raise their hand. Once invited to speak, they unmute their microphone to begin their question, comment, or thoughts.

The topic I chose was “Breast Reconstruction Concerns and Questions Answered”. The discussion and information provided by Roberta and Dr. C was both enlightening and informative. I want to provide some of the concerns presented by patients, questions answered, but more importantly, provide the resources that may further provide insight for the readers of this blog who may have similar breast reconstruction concerns.

Breast Reconstruction Recovery and Pain Management

DIEP flap breast reconstruction involves incisions at the abdominal area to harvest the flap to create a new breast after mastectomy. With incisions at the breast and tummy patients are often concerned about length of stay in hospital, recovery, and pain management. It is a valid and understandable fear. Dr. C spoke at length about ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) protocol. Roberta and I both shared that we did not have this protocol in place at the time of our DIEP flap and how much difference we see in patient recovery and length of time in hospital compared to now and patients who experience the advantages of ERAS. Key take away provided by Dr. C: Change is driven by patients so please mention ERAS to your plastic surgeon at your breast reconstruction consult. I will provide links to resources where you can watch and read more:

Real patient stories who had ERAS protocol.

Episode 101: Fertility Preservation, Legislative Advocacy, and Patient‑Centered Breast Cancer Care – DiepCJourney Podcast

In this episode, Terri Coutee, Founder and Director of DiepCFoundation, sits down with Dr. Priya Jadeja, board‑certified breast surgeon with Premier Surgical Network in New Jersey. Dr. Jadeja brings a powerful blend of clinical expertise, advocacy, and compassion to her work in this episode of the DiepCJourney® podcast, and she shares why fertility preservation must be part of comprehensive cancer care for young patients. Episode Highlights Dr. Jadeja's path to breast surgery She reflects on what drew her to the field and how joining Premier Surgical Network has strengthened her ability to deliver high‑quality, patient‑centered care. Why fertility preservation matters With more young women facing breast cancer diagnoses, Dr. Jadeja explains how fertility considerations became a defining part of her practice and why this issue is gaining national attention. A patient story that sparked change Dr. Jadeja discusses the moment a 32‑year‑old patient declined chemotherapy because fertility preservation was financially out of reach and a turning point that ignited her advocacy. Partnering with Assemblywoman Brittnee Timberlake Hear the behind‑the‑scenes journey of the New Jersey Fertility Preservation Law, including traveling to Trenton with her patient to support the bill. Dr. Jadeja shares what this experience meant to her personally and professionally. Fertility preservation as essential cancer care As a female breast surgeon caring for young women with highly treatable disease, Dr. Jadeja outlines why fertility must be integrated into treatment planning; not treated as an optional conversation. Legislation shaping the future of patient‑centered care With New York becoming the first state to mandate private insurance coverage for scalp cooling systems, Dr. Jadeja discusses what this signals about the evolving landscape of supportive cancer care. Advice for advocates and clinicians Dr. Jadeja offers guidance for anyone – surgeons, patients, caregivers, or advocates, who want to create legislative change and amplify patient voices. Where to Find Dr. Jadeja Follow Dr. Priya Jadeja on Instagram for accessible, educational content on breast cancer surgery, fertility preservation, and patient advocacy. Listen & Watch You can listen to DiepCJourney® Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and watch full episodes on the DiepCFoundation YouTube Channel when published.  

1. Episode 101: Fertility Preservation, Legislative Advocacy, and Patient‑Centered Breast Cancer Care 22:38
2. Episode 100: Lymphatic Drainage Massage and Acupuncture 44:54
3. Episode 99: Breast Cancer Rehabilitation Therapy 34:18
4. Episode 98: Am I Being Told All My Options for Breast Reconstruction? 27:03
5. Episode 97: Exercise That Supports Healing 23:31

Breast Reconstruction Wound Healing and Seromas

Patients present with a variety of medical history and prior surgeries that can compromise or make wound healing more challenging for some. One participant shares her experience with prior seromas and healing after being brought to the stage. Dr. C listens carefully to the details and advises her accordingly. Resources discussing these to concerns can be found in the links below for further information and details.

Blog discussing breast reconstruction wounds and management can be found in this link.

Breast Reconstruction Clubhouse Discussion on Sensation

Unfortunately, women are not always aware or told their breasts will have numbness after mastectomy. There is hope restoring some of the sensation lost during mastectomy. If a woman is considering autologous reconstruction sensation can be performed with or without the use of a nerve graft. Resources to understand this process further are provided in the links below:

Sensory Nerve Reconstruction During DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

Nerve Graft and Restoring Sensation to the Breast

Sensation can also be restored during implant-based reconstruction. Dr. C mentioned the two surgeons who pioneered this work, Drs. Anne Peled and Ziv Peled. You can listen to the podcast and watch the video interviews with these two surgeons in the links below:

Breast Reconstruction and Breast Sensation with the DiepCJourney Podcast in this blog.

Nipple Sparing Mastectomy in Breast Reconstruction

There was also a detailed discussion about nipple sparing mastectomy and why or why not women chose this at the time of breast surgery or breast reconstruction based on choice and oncologic safety. More details are in the links below. Thank you to PRMA for providing the link to the video.

From Nipple Sparing Mastectomy to DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

Breast Reconstruction Clubhouse

I was grateful to those who participated and joined us that evening. There is a “Club” on Clubhouse titled, “Breast Reconstruction” I set up with the intention of having further discussions for interested participants. I encourage you to give Clubhouse a try and follow me by searching Terri Coutee and my moderators by searching Roberta Albany and Minas Chrysopoulo. I hope you will join me for the next breast reconstruction Clubhouse discussion.

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