Tag: DIEP flap

Function and Management of Breast Reconstruction Drains

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The DiepCJourney Facebook group has members from all over the world. The purpose of the group is to nurture an ongoing learning community with people affected by breast cancer and those who serve breast cancer patients. A request was made to make a video about surgical drains. It is not a favorite part of recover but certainly necessary. I sat down with Dr. Randall Feingold of NYBRA, New York Breast and Reconstruction and Aesthetic Plastic Surgery to discuss the function and management of breast reconstruction drains. Why Drains Are Placed at the Surgical Sites I start off the conversation by sharing my own experience with drains for my double mastectomy and DIEP flap. The general consensus from patients is that drains are not something that anyone likes. I feel when patients understand why they are being used, they become a bit more tolerable, especially knowing they are a short-term part Continue Reading →

Episode 5: A Young Breast Cancer Survivor Advocating for Survivorship

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Hil Moss is our guest on Season 2, Episode 5 of the DiepCJourney Podcast. A young breast cancer survivor (diagnosed at 28), Hil is an active patient advocate, mentor, and writer in the cancer community, and dedicates her time to raising awareness around the importance of early detection and longitudinal survivorship care. She is also an MBA/MPH Candidate at Yale University, with a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation in cancer care. She made the choice to leverage her own tissue to reconstruct her breasts having DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Hill shares her story from diagnosis, breast reconstruction, and through to her recovery. She shares her connection to the Breasties community and the advocacy work they share. Our call to action in Episode 5 with Hil, a young breast cancer survivor, is to begin doing breast self-exams at an early age. A breast self-exam for breast awareness helps you understand changes Continue Reading →

A Celebration of 10K Breast Reconstruction Flaps

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On May 21, 2022, I will be back in San Antonio, Texas for a celebration of 10K breast reconstruction flaps. This event is put together by the plastic surgery group who did my DIEP flap surgery in December of 2014. This day holds great significance for me. I am grateful to PRMA for their fantastic efforts and support putting this 10K race together to celebrate the 10K flap surgeries they have performed for those affected by breast cancer. Thank you to the sponsors who are generously supporting this race. Honoring All the Patients Who Have Chosen Flap Surgery The 10K breast reconstruction flaps race is being held in San Antonio. The real honor goes to ladies across the world who have chosen or are planning flap surgery after being affected by breast cancer and losing their breasts to the disease. Over the years since I started my nonprofit organization, DiepCFoundation, Continue Reading →

Season 2, Episode 1: Breast Reconstruction Awareness in Australia

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It is with great honor I present Season 2, Episode 1: Breast Reconstruction Awareness in Australia of the DiepCJourney podcast. Connections made with patients and surgeons in the world of plastic surgery undoubtedly serve the purpose of improving patient outcomes. It is such a pleasure to be able to present this information and education on a global level from this fine Australian microsurgeon who has ignited breast reconstruction awareness in Australia. Dr. Joe Dusseldorp Ignites Breast Reconstruction Awareness in Australia The overriding mission through these global connections is “upping our game”. My guest, Dr. Joe Dusseldorp has certainly exhibited this. Not only is he an internationally trained microsurgeon, but he is a TEDx Talks presenter on personalizing medicine and how technology is making the incurable curable. I’m passionate about solving some of the difficult problems in plastic surgery, and applying the best that emerging technology can offer to constantly advance Continue Reading →

Packing When Traveling for DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction

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Many women travel for breast reconstruction surgery. Why? Access to a plastic surgeon in your town may not be available. It was not for me so I decided to summarize a list of what I recommend you will be packing when traveling for DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Why Patients Choose to Travel for DIEP flap If you are having autologous breast reconstruction, like DIEP flap or any other type of tissue reconstruction, finding a microsurgeon to perform your breast reconstruction is important. Microsurgery is a specialty of plastic surgery. These surgeons perform tissue reconstruction. Tissue reconstruction has warm blood flow in the transferred tissue used to reconstruct the breast. It requires great skill and additional training beyond plastic surgery training to tie the tiny blood vessels together to achieve the blood flow in the newly reconstructed breast making it feel more like the native breast tissue removed from a mastectomy Continue Reading →

Episode 14: Nipple Graft, an Innovation in Breast Reconstruction

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New innovations are born out of passion, vision, clinical trials, and a scrupulous process of providing patient safety. In this episode of the DiepCJourney podcast, I speak to Billy Heim, COO of BioAesthetics. He is part of a team who developed an innovation in breast reconstruction, the NAC Graft, nipple areola complex graft. Here is the summary of Episode 14: Nipple Graft, an Innovation in Breast Reconstruction, of the DiepCJourney podcast. I am joined by Minas Chrysopoulo, MD, FACS, an internationally recognized expert in breast cancer reconstruction and shared decision making. He is president of PRMA (Plastic Reconstructive Microsurgical Associates). Dr. Chrysopoulo founded Toliman Health and is the creator of Toliman’s flagship app, Breast Advocate®, the world’s first shared decision-making app for breast cancer treatment and breast reconstruction. Saving the Nipple/Areola in Breast Surgery Dr. Chrysopoulo points out that a lot depends on the specific diagnosis. If there is an Continue Reading →

Episode 16: Options for Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy

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When a person faces a mastectomy due to breast cancer, they have options to reconstruct their breasts. The options include using an implant, using the patients own tissue, or choosing to remain flat with aesthetic flat closure. Dr. Steven Pisano of PRMA, Plastic Reconstructive Microsurgical Associates, in San Antonio, Texas discusses all the options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy in Episode 16 of the DiepCJourney podcast. The Voice of an Expert in Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy Dr. Pisano is one of the original founders of PRMA in San Antonio. He started the practice in 1994 with partner Dr. Peter Ledoux to serve the San Antonio area with general breast reconstruction surgery. Since that time, they will be on track by the end of 2021 to perform over ten thousand flap breast reconstruction surgeries for patients from all over the world. They now have a team of eight highly skilled microsurgeons Continue Reading →

DiepCJourney: What’s in the Name?

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Breast reconstruction awareness day, #BRADay2020 is this Wednesday, October 21st. I have cordially been invited to make a presentation at Microsoft this week to educate the attendees on options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. I was asked by a dear friend, Thomas, a Microsoft employee, what the meaning was behind all of the DIEPC platform I began to build in January of 2015. So, I will begin by telling you about DiepCJourney: What’s in the name? After a second breast cancer diagnosis, I chose to have DIEP flap breast reconstruction after a double mastectomy in May of 2014. When I returned from my surgery, I began to write about it for more of a cathartic experience. I then discovered less than 25% of women and men are aware or told about their options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. I began to think about how I could educate others about options, Continue Reading →

Benefits of Delayed DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction after Radiation

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I take the opportunity to interview Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA about the benefits of delayed DIEP flap breast reconstruction after radiation. It is always a pleasure to have him on the DiepCFoundation Channel to educate others about topics for those affected by breast cancer. What are the Effects of Radiation? Dr. C begins by explaining radiation often creates significant changes. Radiation is recommended to decrease the risk of breast cancer coming back locally in the chest area. He points out there is some data to suggest it can improve survival. For these two reasons alone, it is a very important part of breast cancer treatment to discuss with your health care team. Techniques have improved in recent years in radiation, both the kind of radiation and how radiation radiation is administered for treating breast cancer. However, like many treatments for cancer, there are still side effects. Will the side Continue Reading →

Can Sensation be Restored to the Breast after Mastectomy?

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At a meeting of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery (ASRM), I had the opportunity to interview Dr. James Craigie from the Center for Natural Breast Reconstruction in Charleston, S.C. for this important discussion on restoring sensation to the breast after mastectomy. This is done during breast reconstruction surgery. Women undergoing DIEP flap breast reconstruction frequently ask me, “Can sensation be restored to the breast after mastectomy?” The short answer is yes, it can. However, not all plastic surgeons perform this procedure. In fact, it is done by surgeons trained in a sub-specialty of plastic surgery called microsurgery. Microsurgery requires advanced skills involving the art and science of connecting nerves and blood vessels under high powered microscopes. It takes the trained eye of a microsurgeon to perform nerve reconstruction. What Type of Breast Reconstruction Can Restore Sensation? Dr. Craigie explains that “natural breast reconstruction” involves using the patients own tissue. Continue Reading →