Tag: microsurgery

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 →

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 →

Democratization in Microsurgery: The Proximie System

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Democratization is a noun. The meaning of democratization as it pertains to microsurgery is the action of making training and education available through technology, in this case, microsurgery in breast reconstruction. The chosen field of microsurgery requires hours of training and practice. Observing colleagues perform this sophisticated and complex surgery increases their own skill set with the primary goal being improving patient outcomes in breast reconstruction. My guests are going to discuss their cross-continental experience working live in the operating theater practicing democratization in microsurgery using the Proximie System. An Introduction of the Microsurgeons Using the Proximie System I invited back to the DiepCJourney podcast two internationally known microsurgeons. Dr. Joe Dusseldorp practices in Sydney, Australia and is a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of surgeons. He has a keen interest in microsurgery and did his training overseas to achieve this status. He is also trained to do robotic Continue Reading →

Robotic Assisted DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction in Australia

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Since I had my own DIEP flap breast reconstruction at PRMA in late 2014 performed by Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo I have been fascinated with this surgery. I feel one strong reason people choose the profession of microsurgery is out of passion. The satisfaction of what is accomplished each day must linger long after they leave work and in fact drive them to do better. I invite you to learn more from one such surgeon I met via social media, Dr. Joe Dusseldorp. Join me in learning more about robotic assisted DIEP flap breast reconstruction in Australia. The Progress of DIEP Flap and Value of Robotic Assisted DIEP Over time, I have seen so much progress in surgical procedures and robotic assisted DIEP is just one of them. Dr. Joe agrees and points out this is just ONE technique. His comment, “Surgery doesn’t change overnight. It’s lots of little incremental steps Continue Reading →

Episode 19: Efficient DIEP Flaps

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DIEP flaps are a type of breast reconstruction using a patient’s own tissue to reconstruct breasts after mastectomy for those affected by breast cancer. DIEP stands for deep inferior epigastric perforators. Epigastric refers to the abdominal area. The underlying tissue and perforators (blood vessels) are disconnected by the microsurgeon from the abdominal area and transplanted to the breast area to create soft, warm, tissue much like the breasts removed during mastectomy. We hope Episode 19: Efficient DIEP Flaps, has piqued your curiosity. Efficient DIEP Flaps Study To do an efficient DIEP flap requires years of training, skill, planning, and a team. My guest, Dr. Nicholas Haddock is one of the Breast Reconstruction Team at UT – Southwestern Department of Plastic Surgery in Dallas, TX. He works with Dr. Sumeet Teotia performing state of the art autologous breast reconstruction in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas. In our discussion we reference the PRS Global Continue Reading →

Global Collaboration and Learning on the Topic of Breast Reconstruction

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Collaboration is defined as an action working together with someone to produce or create something. My chosen profession is education. Working with my team in school districts to share ideas exhilarated me. Now, as a nonprofit leader and Founder of DiepCFoundation, I frequently experience global collaboration and learning on the topic of breast reconstruction. Developing a Community of Collaboration Our geographic world is expansive but our ability to collaborate is only an email, text, or message away. When I opened the DiepCJourney private Facebook page, often referred to by members as “The Journey” in the summer of 2015, I had no idea the global relationships that would develop on this page, let alone the other social media accounts I use for the Foundation. The need for education, support, and resources for all options of breast reconstruction after mastectomy continues. I witness this every day on “The Journey”. I set the Continue Reading →

Perfusion Monitor: Flap Monitoring in Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction

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Plastic surgeons use medical devices in reconstructive surgery to optimize patient outcomes in breast reconstruction. I receive a number of inquiries from ladies asking how a flap is monitored after tissue-based breast reconstruction. This is a concerning topic for patients who know the intricacies of microsurgery but do not always think to put it on their list of questions to ask their surgeon during their consult. I would like to present this information about a perfusion monitor used for flap monitoring in microsurgical breast reconstruction. I reached out to Dr. Minas Chrysopoulo of PRMA in San Antonio who performed my DIEP flap breast reconstruction to tell me about the monitoring system they find great success with. The information I was given about flap monitoring at my consult gave me and my husband a great deal of comfort. We felt having Dr. C being able to monitor the flap all evening Continue Reading →

Breast Reconstruction Education and the Circle of Giving

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Wednesday of this past week, October 21, 2002, was BRADay2020. BRADay is a daily event for me, providing education and resources to empower women and men with information to make an informed decision about options for breast reconstruction after mastectomy. For the second year in a row, I was graciously invited by Microsoft to make a presentation about my personal Journey for their Microsoft Gives campaign but more importantly to educate . I left there with a full heart. This is what happened after my presentation on breast reconstruction education and the circle of giving. The presentation was conducted using the Microsoft Teams program. Since I have been using ZOOM to record videos for the Foundation, this was a new platform for me. Thomas set up a one on one meeting with me before the formal presentation to walk me through the ins and outs of Microsoft Teams. He made Continue Reading →

Lost Breast Sensation after Mastectomy Restored 10 Years Later

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Tara begins by telling us the painful story of losing her mother to breast cancer when she was only eighteen. In an ironic twist of fate, Tara’s mother lost her own mother, Tara’s grandmother, from breast cancer at the same age. Having experienced this, she describes it as a “dark cycle that would just keep happening”. This is Tara’s story of lost breast sensation after mastectomy restored 10 years later. With other family members who had a cancer diagnosis, Tara was encouraged to have genetic testing by her then partner. She had no idea at the time what having genetic testing would actually mean and how it would change her life if she tested positive. When the results came back that she was in fact a carrier of a BRCA gene mutation, she went to see a surgeon to discuss what her options were. She was given two options. She Continue Reading →