Tag: microsurgery

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 →

Nerve Graft: Restoring Sensation to the Breast

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Sensation to the breast is important to most women. Nerves in the breast provide this sensation. This feeling provides protection from heat and cold temperatures. The breast is an erogenous zone for several women providing sexual sensation, especially in the nipple and areola area. Nerves are cut at the time of mastectomy when cancerous tissue is removed leaving numbness to the chest. During breast reconstruction, some surgeons perform a procedure using a nerve graft restoring sensation to the breast. Location of the Nerves Restoring Sensation to the Breast The breast is comprised of an intricate web of nerves running through the breast tissue. Surgeons tend to speak about the two sides of the breast looking at it from the front. Draw an imaginary line from the arm pit area running down the side. This is the area of the chest referred to as the lateral area. The area at the Continue Reading →

Are All DIEP Flaps the Same?

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It is a fair question to ask don’t you think?  It is even a better question to discuss at your initial consult when you want to use your tummy tissue to reconstruct your breasts. If you have been affected by breast cancer and are facing a mastectomy, I think you should ask your plastic surgeon, “Are all DIEP flaps the same? The video embedded in the blog will give you talking points for a discussion with your plastic surgeon. I was fortunate to interview Drs. Pankaj Tiwari and Ergun Kocak of Midwest Breast in Ohio to help the reader understand the nuances and differences in tummy flap breast reconstruction. What are the Differences in Flap Procedures using the Tummy? These surgeons point out the scar on the outside looks similar to a tummy tuck scar. But what happens on the inside as Dr. Kocak says, “it’s entirely different”. Let’s take Continue Reading →

Microsurgery in Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy

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I had the opportunity to attend the American Society of Reconstructive Microsurgeons meeting recently. As a patient advocate attending, I was particularly focused on microsurgery in breast reconstruction after mastectomy. It gave me the chance to have in depth conversations with plastic surgeons who dedicate intense hours of training to become microsurgeons.  The conference attendees included medical students interested in this specialty, plastic surgeons who are currently in fellowship training for microsurgery, and those seasoned veterans sharing the latest techniques and methods of surgical skills to achieve optimal outcomes for patients. The ASRM conference took place at a hotel with all of the sessions easily accessible. This conference felt comfortable, informal, and intimate to me. These microsurgeons reflected the feeling, this group is like a small tribe who understand the rigors of microsurgical training and how it can positively change the lives of patients. Why Should you Find a Microsurgeon Continue Reading →

Why I Can’t Wait for the New Decade in Breast Reconstruction

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We have sent best wishes for the New Year to our social media friends. This year ushered in a new decade. Many of us wonder how things will change in the next ten years. This blog may be my time capsule for the upcoming decade. I would like to check back in 2030 to see what items in this blog will change and improve and why I can’t wait for the new decade in Breast Reconstruction. A New Decade of Shared Decision Making in Breast Reconstruction The topic of shared decision-making is at the top of my list. The practice of shared decision-making with the plastic surgeon who performed my DIEP flap is what made my breast reconstruction so successful. I see progress! Dr. Chrysopoulo developed a decision making tool, the Breast Advocate app, this past decade to give patients a voice in their decision making with their health care Continue Reading →

Patients Share Tips on Finding a Breast Reconstruction Surgeon

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I spent hours, days, and weeks searching for a plastic surgeon to perform my DIEP flap breast reconstruction. It was not an easy task. I learned a lot from three other patients, Whitney, Rene, and Tamara, who share with us their criterion and tips on finding a breast reconstruction surgeon to perform their DIEP flap surgery. Whitney’s Tips for Finding a Breast Reconstruction Surgeon She tells us she had time to look for a plastic surgeon because she chose to have a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy with DIEP flap breast reconstruction. Whitney carries a gene mutation putting her at high risk to develop breast cancer. Watching her own mother pass from breast cancer when Whitney was in her early twenties was instrumental in her decision to have breast reconstruction, especially with two young children at home. The first decision was the type of surgery to have. She chose DIEP flap. It Continue Reading →

DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction: Value of a Team Approach

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DIEP flap Breast Reconstruction: Value of a Team Approach Researching a highly skilled, board certified microsurgeon is the first and most important step in your DIEP flap breast reconstruction process. But what additional criteria might you look for? After having a detailed, shared decision-making conversation with my breast surgeon, I soon realized in DIEP flap breast reconstruction there was great value in a team approach. There are microsurgeons who work as a team during DIEP flap breast reconstruction for a variety of reasons. After my double mastectomy I researched several plastic surgeons across the United States viewing their websites to find those who work as a team. I wanted both team members, the microsurgeons, to be highly skilled and have a high rate of success.  There is other criteria I have listed on my resource page under the heading, “Board Certified Plastic Surgeons by Region”. These suggestions should also be Continue Reading →

1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction

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Three short years ago in the summer of 2015, I opened a Facebook page dedicated to serve the breast reconstruction community. The Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/diepcjourney/ grew organically by word of mouth. We started out small, as so many new social media sites do. It is growing daily and now 1900 Patients Share Stories About Breast Reconstruction. What Do We Share? Think about this. You have just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Now you face the tsunami of information about to flood your brain; lab reports and waiting on results, treatment options, surgery, lumpectomy, mastectomy. Some days you feel overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, or even jubilant. Who will understand all these feelings? Who do I talk to who has been on this Journey? Think about this. You are told your best treatment option is to have a mastectomy. Perhaps, for peace of mind, you decide to have a prophylactic mastectomy because you Continue Reading →

I Had DIEP Flap. Do You Know What That Is?

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I Had DIEP Flap. Do You Know What That Is? Picture this scenario. You walk into a physician or health care provider’s office after having DIEP flap breast reconstruction. They ask you to discuss your current health and why you came into the office for a visit. A standard question, right?  You are in a gown sitting on the exam table with only your underwear on under the gown. You know they are going to do a full exam and ask you to open the gown. Before they begin the exam, you say, “I had DIEP flap. Do you know what that is?” The answer is often one of two replies, “Oh yes, I see. You had a TRAM Flap.” Or, “No, I have no idea what a DIEP flap is.” This is when the education begins. The physician says, “Well, let’s take a look.” I open my gown and Continue Reading →