31 Years Old, Prophylactic Mastectomy and DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction - Dallas, TX

More about Breast Reconstruction with DIEP Flap

Treatment Provider

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
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Update to Add Pictures

  • 9 Jul 2014
  • 1 year post
Adding pictures

I was interested in DIEP Flap because I've had 2...

  • 8 Jul 2014
  • 1 year post
I was interested in DIEP Flap because I've had 2 kids, had gained a bit of weight, and saw it as a good opportunity to not only start over with a new body, but also have breasts created from my own tissue rather than implants. Keeping my own nipples was very important to me rather than having reconstructed nipples. Because I had very large breasts prior to my mastectomy (36H), I met with one plastic surgeon who told me that it would be impossible to keep my nipples. I met with Dr. Meade and he laid out a surgical plan to give me the best shot at this. He first performed a standard breast reduction. We waited 6 months for healing, then conducted the mastectomy and reconstruction, and my nipples survived beautifully! I'm not going to lie, DIEP is a rough surgery. It is not for the faint of heart. It is VERY much worth it, though! Dr. Meade told me to walk as much as possible, and I took that to heart. Starting by walking laps around the ICU, then down the halls of the oncology unit. By 2 weeks out, I was walking 1 mile per day, and by 4 weeks out I was walking 2 miles per day. At 6 weeks I was walking 3 miles per day and was cleared to run. I started up slowly and regained my strength and confidence. 3 months out I joined a morning boot camp. The chest and abdominal exercises were difficult, but I just took it at my own comfort level and pace, and redeveloped the muscle. 5 months after my mastectomy and reconstruction, I ran a half marathon. I am now exactly 1 year out from my surgery. I have lost 45 pounds since my surgery and have a bikini body for the first time in my life. Dr. Meade and DIEP Flap have given me an entirely new life. If I had to go and do it all over again, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Provider Review

Ricardo A. Meade, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
9101 N. Central Expressway , Dallas, Texas
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  • 8 Jul 2014

I simply cannot say enough about not only how wonderful Dr. Meade is, but his entire staff as well. As I mentioned before, I had pretty specific aesthetic results I wanted from my breast reconstruction, and I came to Dr. Meade after another plastic surgeon told me it wouldn't be possible. He thought outside the box and laid out a surgical plan to give me the best shot at what I wanted. He was realistic and let me know that there was no guarantee it would work, but he thought it was definitely worth trying. Thanks to him, I have ended up with the results I wanted and so much more. When initially choosing which route to go with for my reconstruction, I was nervous about staying in Dallas to have DIEP Flap performed because New Orleans is famous for it. I am so glad I stayed local and went with Dr. Meade. My results are just as good, if not better, than the women who go to NOLA. I belong to several online BRCA / breast cancer groups and every time I post my results photos, everyone raves and wants to know who my doctor is. Upon my first consult with Dr. Meade and at every appointment thereafter, he spent as much time with me as I needed. I had a lot of questions and never once felt rushed. He really makes an effort to know and remember his patients. I'm always impressed at every appointment how he remembers things about me, my case, etc. You're not just another surgery to him, you're a person, and you're important. His staff is the same way. They are very responsive to phone calls, helpful with information, and are always very warm and kind. I am going to miss them all once my follow up appointments are done! Dr. Meade also apparently has an impressive reputation in the medical community as well. Because of weird insurance networks, my surgery took place in a different hospital than he normally works from. The morning of my surgery, the pre-op nurses were all buzzing with excitement that Dr. Meade would be operating there that day. We overheard one nurse tell another to make sure the setup is just right for him. It was so fun to hear them take so much care in wanting to accommodate him. Throughout my week-long stay at the hospital, each time I was transferred to a different department, first the ICU for 24 hour flap monitoring, and then the oncology unit, the nurses would say, "oh you're Dr. Meade's patient!" I somehow even ended up with a 2-room suite at the hospital. The nurses said Dr. Meade likes his patients to be well taken care of. No kidding! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed the VIP treatment on Dr. Meade's behalf. I had a great experience with DIEP Flap breast reconstruction and am happy every day when I look in the mirror. I'm not going to lie, it’s a challenging surgery, but it is worth it. Dr Meade is very talented, skilled, and has performed many while maintaining a very low flap failure rate. He told me once that DIEP is one of his favorite surgeries to do. Dr. Meade is very honest and will not upsell you to make more money. He will give you his honest opinion about what is best for you. He is very confident and proud of his work, and for good reason. That confidence is very reassuring to see from your surgeon. I trust him completely and would highly recommend him for any procedure. He is an artist. I am so thankful for his work in the breast reconstruction field, making women feel whole and beautiful, in the midst of disease. Thank you Dr. Meade!