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Hearing the words “You have breast cancer” is...
My general surgeon’s wife is a good friend of mine, and when I asked him, upon my diagnosis, what he would do if his wife were facing the same decision, he said without hesitation, “I’d do a mastectomy”. Choice #1 made. Realizing that I never wanted to undergo another breast biopsy or face the agonizing wait for the results again, I knew instinctively that I would go for the bilateral. This ended up being one of the best decisions I have ever made, because after surgery the pathology results revealed previously undetected cancer cells in the other breast.
Having known and adored my surgeon for years, when he recommended Dr. Whitfield as my plastic surgeon, I knew I needed not look any further. He spoke of him with great respect and admiration (still does) and I can certainly understand why. I knew from my first appointment that I had made the right choice. He clearly explained both the DIEP and implants procedures in terms my husband and I could understand. I could tell he is passionate about his cancer patients and wants them to have the best possible outcome. I chose the DIEP, not only because I liked the idea of using my own tissue and fat for the reconstruction, but also because I knew that Dr. Whitfield is one of the best surgeons in the country for this procedure. There has not been a moment that I have regretted my decision!
My DIEP surgery took place in November of 2013. I had a bit of a complication—not Dr. Whitfield’s fault; just a blood vessel that initially didn’t want to cooperate—and between the bilateral mastectomy and the DIEP procedure I was on the operating table for about 13 hours! Even so, my husband was amazed at how well I looked when I came out, and I felt good enough to have company the next day. Dr. Whitfield visited each day, usually twice, for the entire 6 days I was in the hospital and was so very kind and reassuring each time. By the end of the week both my husband and I felt as though he was more than my surgeon—he was our friend.
The initial recovery from DIEP flap surgery is no picnic…but within a few weeks I was more or less back to “normal” in my day-to-day activities. A month after my surgery I began physical therapy, which made a huge difference and soon afterwards was given the go ahead to resume my exercise routine. I’ve never had any issues with infection, and I LOVE my flat stomach…I don’t even mind the abdominal scar…it reminds of me of a battle I faced and won!
I have had a few revisions since then and this is what I’ve learned about Dr. Whitfield: He is a perfectionist and an artist. He cares passionately about his patients. He is warm, personable, and fun…there have been times I’ve had to remind myself that I was in his office because I had cancer…what a gift he gives to his patients to be able to help them forget that for even a few minutes! He can generally control what happens in the OR but can’t control how a patient’s body will respond or how a patient behaves during recovery. He is human; he gets understandably frustrated when things don’t go as planned or when a patient doesn’t follow his advice but his bedside manner is exemplary. He is amazingly gifted and my reconstructed body is evidence of that! One of the many blessings that have come from my cancer journey has been the privilege of getting to know him.
My reconstructed breasts look fantastic…far better than I imagined I would look post-cancer! I feel wonderful. I will still have at least one more revision in a few weeks just to tweak things a bit, but I actually don’t mind the surgeries anymore. My recovery each time has gone very well which is due in large part to my fitness level and healthy lifestyle but also because Dr. Whitfield is simply the best! I will be forever grateful to him and his excellent, compassionate staff and have and will continue to recommend him and the DIEP procedure to anyone facing breast cancer.
Provider Review
I couldn't be happier with my DIEP results or with my choice of surgeons. I knew from my first appointment that I had made the right choice. Dr. Whitfield clearly explained both the DIEP and implants procedures in terms my husband and I could understand. I've been his patient for about nine months and have learned a few things: he cares passionately about his patients and wants us to have the best possible outcome. He is a perfectionist and an artist. He is warm, personable, and fun…there have been times I’ve had to remind myself that I was in his office because I had cancer…what a gift he gives to his patients to be able to help them forget that for even a few minutes! Dr. Whitfield can generally control what happens in the OR but can’t control how a patient’s body will respond or how a patient behaves during recovery. He is human; he gets understandably frustrated when things don’t go as planned or when a patient doesn’t follow his advice but his bedside manner is exemplary. He is amazingly gifted and my reconstructed body is evidence of that! One of the many blessings that have come from my cancer journey has been the privilege of getting to know him. I will be forever grateful to Dr. Whitfield and his excellent, compassionate staff and have and will continue to recommend him to anyone facing breast cancer reconstruction.