Cancelled reconstruction

tfabre · 07-25-2011, 07:57 PM

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!!!!

alicem · 08-29-2011, 03:21 PM

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