Please take a look at the article I recently finished for the QMP Plastic Surgery Pulse.  Here is the link to the main page of the Plastic Surgery Pulse.  http://www.plasticsurgerypulsenews.com/2/  This is a newer Online Journal.  I was asked to give an article so I chose to give a technical analysis of a DIEP Flap.  Here is the direct link to my article. http://www.plasticsurgerypulsenews.com/2/article_dtl.php?QnCategoryID=18&QnArticleID=43  Please read the article and allow me to answer any of your questions!

I have seen several patients recently after immediate breast reconstruction with a DIEP flap.  i am always impressed at how natural the appearance of the flap is in relationship to the other breast.  Many times I care for patients in other communities such as Greenbay, Sheboygan, Two Rivers, Appleton, and Madison, Wisconsin after mastectomy.  Many patients travel to have these procedures done at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin.  There is an entire team devoted to women with breast cancer.  Our goal as Plastic Surgeons is provide all available breast reconstruction options to each patient.  Many of our patients choose the DIEP flap because of our experience with the procedure.  We having been performing this procedure routinely over the past five years at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin.  Whether we need to perform simultaneous reconstruction of bothe sides or perfor a stacked or double diep flap on one side we have the team available.

There is a report today on CNN.com that  Task force opposes routine mammograms for women age 40-49.  The task force states that about 15 % of the time women age 40 will detect breast cancer.  other women will experience false positives, anxiety, and unnecessary biopsies.  This task force differs in its recommendations compared to the American Cancer Society which recommends mammograms stating at age 40.  This will invariably cause problems with insurance plans, their patient's desire for mammography, and the ability of the phsician to recommend what they feel is appropriate.  My personal experience is that the youngest woman I have operated on with the diagnosis with breast cancer is 24.  Fortunately she survived and went on to have reconstruction as well.