I had bilateral mastectomy with diep flap reconstruction in July 2020. I had it all done in one big (10 hour) surgery. The only negative thing with the surgery is that I had a ferocious headache for a couple of days after. I believe it was from the anesthesia. I did not expect that at all as I have had a few surgeries and never had this problem. Needless to say it really affected my hospital stay. After the headache went away, everything was easy....Friday was surgery all day and I went home on Monday afternoon. I had no pain at all. Things felt different and strange, but no pain. Are you aware that you need some pudge going on to have that surgery using stomach tissue? Otherwise it can be taken from the fanny or back I think. I had four drains...one for each breast and one on each side of the stomach area. That was not a big deal, but kind of an annoyance. I had two wonderful plastic surgeons. Where are you located? I have no regrets about having the surgery whatsoever. It is a process though. It is not a one surgery deal. There are steps and I still am not totally done, but real happy.

Just a little background. First cancer right breast 2007. Second cancer left breast 2018. Lumpectomy and radiation both times...tamoxifen the first time, anastrozole the second. Tested positive for genetic mutation. The genetic test results came back 9/2019. I immediately started looking for a surgeon and plastic surgeon. That was a nightmare. I found a surgeon who came with good reviews that was crude and obnoxious. I told her that I wanted nipple sparing mastectomy with diep flap. She said no to both. She had a setup with a plastic surgeon and she said I had to have implants because of my age...69 at the time. She kept saying “another nipple in the bucket” referring to the mastectomy. She was obnoxious the whole appointment. I was at my wits end as to how to go about getting this done. Then there was a lecture by a plastic surgeon. He was all business. He brought pictures and went into detail about how he did the surgeries. I made an appointment with him and I felt like I was home free! At our first appointment I told him I was at the lecture and I told him about the other surgeon and he asked me what I wanted done and I told him bilateral nipple sparing mastectomy with diep flap. He said he could not do the nipple sparing surgery as I had had radiation and my tissue was damaged. He asked to see my belly and told me he could do the diep. He had his associate come in...the diep usually takes two microsurgeons and not all plastic surgeons are microsurgeons (be sure to check that out when you do your research) and he took a look and they said yes. Then I had to find a surgeon for the mastectomies and he gave me a name. It just happened to be the partner of the obnoxious surgeon. I was not wholly impressed with her, but realized that the bigger surgery and the most important and involved was the diep. I went with her and everything was set up for April 17, 2020 and then covid shut everything down. I had the surgery in July and everything was like clockwork. He was totally honest and everything happened just as he said. During my last surgery I did not want anesthesia and he was ok with that, so we talked the whole time he was working I just could not see what he was doing. I asked him how many of these surgeries he does and he said about 200/year. I am not sure if that is the diep or all of his breast surgeries. He also does other plastic surgery and does microsurgery if you have lymphedema which is a worry for a person that has had breast cancer. My advice to you is to focus on the plastic surgeon and he/she will probably refer you to a surgeon that he/she works with. The plastic surgeon is the most important. Just understand that this takes quite a while. The doctor will want you to be totally healed before proceeding with the next stages of the process. I had told him before the surgery that he was the doctor totally in charge of my surgery and he was and when I saw him before the first and second surgeries I just knew that everything was going to be ok and it was. The third surgery, as I said I was awake and we talked through the whole thing. At no time was I afraid of any of it with him in charge. First surgery mastectomies/diep flap. Second surgery was revision of the work done in the first surgery and removing scar tissue. Third surgery was forming the nipples. You will have some feeling in your breasts but not much in the nipple area as that is transplanted skin.

@catann, you may also want to read the experiences of @jenni17 @vivlaj @meliss @tana @sandyjr @dianamiracle @cathyhand @bomashisha @betsyk and others in these discussion. Loads of good stuff shared.

- Diep Flap Procedure https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/diep-flap-procedure
- Bilateral mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction experiences https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/bilateral-mastectomy-and-deip-flap-reconstruction-experiences

No, I live in Panama City Florida!