ladurbi

Can't go wrong w/Dr. Robert Allen.  Most sincere, compassionate, competent, talented surgeon I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.  Unilat IGAP in MAR06.  3days in hosp. Follow up visit 1 wk from surgery,  Flew back home to MN 10 days after surgery.  No regrets and have never looked back.  

Oh, also Dr. Levine in NYC.  Works w/Dr Allen.  In fact they do alot of surgery together.

http://www.mdanderson.org/Diseases/BreastCancer/reconstruction/

Only know of one 

Dr. David F. Ruebeck M.D., F.A.C.S.

Midwest Plastic Surgery

South Office -- near Fairview Southdale Hospital
6545 France Ave. South
Suite 240
Edina, MN 55435
(952)920-2600

North Office -- near North Memorial Medical Center
3366 Oakdale Ave. North
Suite 502
Robbinsdale, MN 55422

No experience w/him.  Went to Dr Allen in SC instead.  Unilat I-GAP.  Allen does bilat DIEP and S or I GAP.  Also does SIEA.  Info on his web site diepflap.com

OPD,

You may want to post on the Recurrence/Metastatic thread.  Also go to bcmets.org.  It is a web site dedicated to stage 4 breast cancer.

Place a wash cloth between the wand and sensitive areas.  Dampens the effect some...

Teresa,

My wife underwent mast, snb, and immediate I GAP recon w/Dr Allen in SC in MAR06.  Dr Megan Baker was the surgeon who did the mast and snb in conjuction w/the recon by Dr Allen & Levine.  Like you we had never Allen/Levine/or Baker prior to traveling to SC.  I did however speak w/Allen and Baker on the phone.  I can't say enough good about Dr Baker.  She was/is an excellent surgeon in all ways. 

Wendy,

Charleston area is beautiful.  We traveled from MN to SC in March of '06.  Spent just short of 2 wks there .  Missed 2 MN snow storms while we relaxed around the pool in 70s/80s.  LH unilat mast w/immediate I Gap recon.  Surgery on Wed.  Released from hosp on Sat (1 day early).  Follow up visit w/Allen on the following Wed.  Could have left Thurs but stayed till Sat because that was the way we sched airfare.  Stayed in a Homewood Suites a couple miles from hosp.  Worked very well.

Dr. Allen was/is the pioneer.  His practice was in NOLA prior to Katrina.  After Katrina he moved to SC.  Chk out diepflap.com and read Allen's bio as well as the medical articles.  I am sure there are other drs out there that are just as good ie. NOLA, but I really don't think there are better and most have had some training by Allen.  You would not be disappointed w/Allen.  I have never met a finer more compassionate dr. I could tell you a couple stories of my experiences w/him that I think speaks volumes of his character.

Also, My wife has not been back for phase 2 and I doubt she ever will.  Size, shape, symmetry all good.  She is pleased with results as the are.  She looks great!

Best wishes,

Larry (a DH)