Gathering information is very good.
A word of caution: I'm my experience, bith radiated and unradiated sides morphed over the course of about a year. I delayed revision past this, just to make sure they each had met their final destination on my chest, then began the
tweaking process. Take your time-you'll have been able to explore all your options in the mean time.

((Hug))

I just wrote a long response and lost it😶 in summary, I had horrible results with a woman who didn't think I needed to do anything with the other side and had a 36 C ice cream cup and a 36 long. She finally said maybe we should do something with the other side. Then I ended up with the reconstructed nipple 2 inches higher than the other one. Then a man did a lat flap and I had cleavage for the first time! The other side ended up not dropping like it should and unfortunately he left the state. But I looked great in a bra.
3 1/2 years later i have developed muscle spasms under my breast due to capsulated contracture and I noticed in a picture taken on Friday that The differences show up under a solid type blouse a lot! The head Dr of the 2nd PS said he could fix them both. Now I'm considering it but will get a 2nd opinion this time around before I do anything.

The different attitudes of each Dr made a big difference!

There are risks with flaps for sure. It's doubtful you would qualify for a DIEP due to your low body fat. The diabetes will factor into decisions about flaps, too. LD flaps might be an option but will impact your upper extremity strength to some degree.

Any flap causes more incisions and more recovery. Most peeps do just fine with them. You may also want to explore pre-pectoral implant placement and fat grafting and just redo the implant recon. You've never complained of slow healing of incisions so I wouldn't put that completely out of the picture.

Find the very best PS who is VERY experienced with all the recon techniques. You may also relate better to a female surgeon. My first was the head of recon at a major teaching hospital and a male, but I had a poor aesthetic result and eventually CC. My new PS is a female who really puts herself in my shoes and "gets" what is important and boy, did she deliver. She fixed things I didn't realize were broken.

I guess what I'm saying is you may not need a whole complicated new type of surgery, just a better surgeon.

Good luck. I'm glad you are moving forward.

Hi @A MyBCTeam Member. That's too bad. So sorry your results aren't what you expected. Plus the Doctor is very rude and uncaring saying to just wear baggy shirts. Hummmm! I opted out for reconstruction. I don't want those foreign objects in my body. Plus I hear a lot of horror stories about reconstructed breasts. I went to Radiation Consultation on Friday and the Doctor asked if I was getting reconstruction. I told him no I never even considered it. Best of Luck to you always. God Bless.

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A MyBCTea...

Boy can I relate to that. I have always been a health nut. Like you said exercized, eaten right, tried to be a good person and I am the one who gets this cancer repeatedly. I didn't have enough fat to get the flap either. I sure do not have the answer...