I had DIEP two years ago, they did it at the same time as the mastectomy and before chemo and radiation. It is an intensive surgery, but it was what I felt the best option for me. It healed well. I did have to have an outpatient procedure at one month to clean out some minor necrosis. Then after chemo, radiation and hysterectomy they came back at the 18 month mark at did a bilateral maxtopexy (breast lift) so that the breast were even. That too was an outpatient procedure. The best advice I can give is choose your plastic surgeon wisely! Check his/her references. Ask for pictures of prior procedures. Ask how many times the physician has performed the procedure. Ask about the fail rate - not all DIEP flaps attempts are successful - they may not be able to establish blood flow and have to abort - you need to know the back up plan. I had a fabulous surgeon - he was exceptionally skilled. I have very thin, fine smooth scars. Be prepared for the drains post-operatively - I had five in for a month, but things healed very well. There are a lot of ways / things you will need post-operatively to be prepared to heal correctly. My tummy tuck doesn't bulge at all - and I was overweight (considerably). Feel free to message me - I can tell you a lot about the tricks of getting through it. I will say that two months after my surgery I walked a 5K for the Susan Komen foundation, and I returned to work full time a month after that.

I had DIEP nearly 10 years ago....best possible scenario! Ask away, I can try to help you out as well.

They take a "free flap" from the tissue and vessels in the stomach and reconstruct a breast mound. It is a long surgery and requires a skilled plastic surgeon. I had it done two years ago, my reconstruction was done at the same time as my mastectomy. The two together to 10 1/2 hours. The results were worth it!. I can provide some detailed information if you want it. Too much information at one time can be overwhelming.

I had a single mastectomy with immediate DIEP in October. Are you on Facebook? There is a group specifically for this surgery that is really helpful to ask questions and see others results if you are interested.

With one they don't use any rectus muscles. With the other they use the muscle without detaching it. Also it can change once they are in there. They used a small portion of my muscle because my blood vessels were not running through the flap the way they wanted. I drove my PS a little crazy with questions, but he was glad I had a good understanding of the different procedures. I'll be happy to help you with any questions.