Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

PS they have done OVER 3000 and will move heaven and earth to accommodate you. That said please keep in mind emergent cases get first priority howvever the Center plans for this and keeps dates/ times available fir such situations.
You will NOT be "bumped" once scheduled
So sorry u have been treated so badly...give NOLA a chance you'll never regret a consult at the very least, I PROMISE!
Marcia

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

Thank you. that makes me feel better. I am going to fax info to them and go from there. They sound wonderful.

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

Leslie,sent you a Private message...
The forum on BC.ORG is the reconstruction thread and Subtopic is "NOLA in September" .
http://community.breastcancer.org/fo.../736412?page=1

I would highly recommend ANYONE seeking info on autologous tissue recon check out this thread and PM me if you want to ask any questions,
Warmly,
Marcia

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I am so sorry and understand your frustration. I had initially tried to have my DIEP flap closer to my home, and after talking with the plastic surgeon for 30 minutes in his office, he finally admitted that it is "Out of his comfot zone". Thank goodness I didn't settle for implants (which he wanted to do), and decided to look further.

I had my Diep flap done in New Orleans with Dr Ali Sadeghi, and what an amazing job he did!!!! Dr. Alan Stolier did the mastectomies. I couldn't be happier!

I know that I do not know all of the circumstances for your surgury, but as a nurse, I do know that this procedure is a very long microsurgery. Not all hospitals (and plastic surgeons) can offer this procedure. It takes ORs equipped for Microsurgery, OR teams (multiple doctors and nurses) that can coordinate their schedules and operating rooms that can be tied up for these lengthy procedures. These may not be things that staff haven't explained completely to you.

You may just need to have a discussion with your surgeon, or his nurse, to better understand. If your gut tells you to find another surgeon....DO IT! Always follow your instincts. Things happen for a reason, most often for the better!

Hang in there!!!!

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I also had DIEP surgery, but in Houston. If for some reason NOLA does not work out, I would highly recommend Dr. Aldona Spiegel. This is the only type of surgery that she does and she has done thousands by now. Her staff is excellent and she hand picks the surgical nurses as well as the nurses that care for her patients while in the hospital. If they don't meet up to her standards they are gone. She has a wonderful website that describes the procedure in depth along with before and after pictures:

www.breastrestoration.org

Good Luck! Hope this helps!

Alice

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I am still up in the air about this surgery. I had it scheduled for last summer in San Antonio but due to an illness in the spring I cancelled it. I am still considering it. I remember Denise saying that she wouldn't have had two surgeries. Has anyone here had delayed reconstruction (DIEP)? I am in my late fifties and I was wondering has anyone undergone this procedure who is my age. I really hate wearing a prosthesis.

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I also would concur with the NOLA recommendation. I didn't end up having a Diep, but my research indicated that, if I wanted a Diep, they were the best in the country. I even spoke with a woman who wrote a book on breast reconstruction, and she said they were the best.

Maybe they can fit you in this summer. I hope you can make it work. You are better off with someon who has done a lot of Dieps, like the Nola surgeons, as this is a tricky operation.

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

Thank you.

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I may be way out of line here but I am sensing a lot of uncertainty. For a lot of different reasons you have not been able to have this procedure yet. I just feel uneasy. Like the roadblocks had a purpose. The surgery sounds daunting! I noticed that I posted quite a while back a saying of my husband. "Sometimes the situation is smarter than we are"
Your last line was about hating to wear a prosthesis. Could that really be the issue that you need to address? Finding a solution to the prosthesis problem? There are always new and better ones being developed. I hope I do not sound negative or inappropriate. Just expressing my reaction. I hope you find the answer
Keep the faith

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I had a tram flap done 2 years almost 3 years out and it was the best thing I ever did in this roller coaster cancer ride. Gods blessings to you my friend

Re: Cancelled reconstruction
 

I wasn't here for a while but I do appreciate all the comments and advice.