Episode 25: Flap Monitoring in Breast Reconstruction and the History of the Guinea Pig Club in Plastic Surgery
Release Date: 01/11/2023
Episode 96: Breast Sensibility: The Mind/Body Connection
DiepCJourney Podcast
On this episode of the my guest is Dr. Stefania Tuinder, a notable global expert in breast sensation for those undergoing mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Originally from Italy, she is now located in Maastricht in the south of the Netherlands and works at an academic hospital. Her main work there is microsurgery, not only breasts but for sure breasts is where she does the majority of her work. Dr. Tuinder does only autologous breast reconstruction using all kinds of flaps. She has an active research interest in breast sensibility. The word sensibility is often referred to as sensation in...
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Episode 95: Where Passion Meets Surgical Precision
DiepCJourney Podcast
As part of my work at , I am able to meet in person, well-known board-certified surgeons across the world. My guest is one such surgeon I know. I have been anxious to interview her. Two words I find myself choosing to describe her are: Adaptable and compassionate. Each time I see her at a conference, the conversation is so easy and comfortable. I can’t think it would be any different with her patients. is a plastic surgeon at the at Magee Women’s Hospital. Topics she covers in our interview include: · How she developed her passion for...
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Episode 94: A Breast Reconstruction Journey Toward Clarity & Confidence
DiepCJourney Podcast
Deciding which breast reconstruction path to take is rarely simple. Whether facing an active breast cancer diagnosis, navigating a high‑risk genetic mutation, or having a strong family history of cancer, the process demands research, planning, trust, and a strong circle of support. In this episode of the , we sit down with Marcy Goodman who is a wife, mother, and dedicated professional. She opens up about the many layers of her decision to pursue autologous (using her own tissue) breast reconstruction. Marcy shares how she evaluated her options, found the right surgical team, and ultimately...
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Episode 93: Navigating Healthcare as a Patient Advocate
DiepCJourney Podcast
Patient advocacy shows up in so many meaningful ways, and my guest on this episode of the has been part of my own journey since the very beginning. We first connected back in 2015, when I was just starting to write my blog. She offered guidance, encouragement, and wisdom at a time when I was still finding my footing. I’ve followed her story ever since, and her voice has continued to inspire me and so many others. As a valued member of the DiepCJourney® community, it felt only natural to invite her to share her experience with all of you. I’m delighted to welcome Rebecca Hogue, Becky...
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Episode 92: Completion of Prophylactic Surgeries
DiepCJourney Podcast
Facing a genetic mutation that significantly increases the risk of breast cancer means making decisions that truly feel life‑defining. Today’s guest on the t, Emily Koellner, knows this experience intimately. With a strong family history of cancer, a mutation inherited from her father’s side, and the unwavering support of her two sisters and loved ones, Emily navigated her choices with courage and clarity. Many of you will remember my earlier interview with her sisters about their own prophylactic DIEP flap journeys. Now it’s Emily’s turn to share her perspective, her strength,...
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Episode 91: A Message of Kindness, Gratitude, and Courage
DiepCJourney Podcast
Hi listeners. It’s that time of year when we all take a few of those precious moments between the holidays and starting the New Year to look back, plan ahead, and savor those moments before heading back to work. This is the final of 2025 and I decided to go solo for the first time since beginning this podcast during the pandemic in January of 2021. Let’s take a look back at what we have provided courtesy of my outstanding guests. I always say, a podcast is only as good as its guests, and I am so lucky to have met them via my podcast and many I have met in person. When I had my in...
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Episode 90: Shared Decision-Making in Healthcare: Insights from Dr. C
DiepCJourney Podcast
We are diving into a conversation that’s close to my heart and vital to the breast cancer community. On this episode of the are going to talk about the term, shared decision-making as it pertains to healthcare and take a deeper dive into its use in breast cancer surgery and breast reconstruction with a returning guest . Dr. C is the CEO of , Director of Professional Relations & Global Partnerships at , Founder, , and creator of the . You may have heard previous interviews on the topic of shared decision-making with me and my guest. You may also have seen via our that we are...
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Episode 89: A Holistic Approach to Breast Reconstruction
DiepCJourney Podcast
What does it mean to truly heal after breast cancer? In this episode of the , we sit down with of Tucson Plastic Surgery to explore a holistic approach to breast reconstruction—one that goes beyond surgical technique to embrace emotional well-being, shared decision-making, and compassionate care. From honoring each patient’s story to integrating wellness into recovery, Dr. Kurtovic offers insights that empower survivors to reclaim their bodies and their confidence with grace. Dr. Silvia Kurtovic is part of the team of surgeons at . She works with performing a number of...
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Episode 88: PRMA's TruSense® in Breast Reconstruction for Sensate Breasts
DiepCJourney Podcast
This interview was conducted at the practice in San Antonio during Breast Reconstruction Awareness week. discusses PRMA’s and sensation to the breasts. With extensive background training and twenty-five years of experience with the , Dr. Nastala is particularly interested in the sensation of the breast, nerve repair, and optimizing outcomes for their breast reconstruction patients. They achieve this through ongoing research and improvement in surgical techniques at PRMA. He discusses the nerve anatomy of the breasts and some of the limitations of the body’s own ability to...
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Episode 87: The Other 50%: Marcylle Combs on Career, Cancer, And Courage
DiepCJourney Podcast
In the world of podcasting, you meet folks you feel like you’ve known for a while because of your connections, and you’ve only seen them through the lens of your laptop camera. This is the case for my guest on this episode of the , host of the podcast ! Marcylle Combs, MS, RN is an Entrepreneur, Leadership Expert, , Author, and Podcast Host committed to leveraging her experience in empowering individuals to realize their highest potential. She spent over 30 years leading a large healthcare organization, which she owned, operated, and grew from a small home health agency to a...
info_outlineSince having DIEP flap, a plastic reconstructive surgery technique performed to rebuild breasts after a mastectomy, I have been fascinated with the field of plastic surgery and topics related specifically to breast reconstruction.
I interview Rob Pupelis, CEO, of Spectros for the first episode of season three of the DiepCJourney podcast. Rob shares the story of his visit to the Queen Victory hospital (QVH) in England. He was able to visit Queen Victoria while attending the London Breast Meeting in late 2022. While at the conference, Rob demonstrated the T-Stat tissue oximetry system developed by Spectros. T-Stat is used to monitor flaps in breast reconstruction and in our conversation, we discuss the efficacy of the T-Stat system and why it improves the surgeon’s success rate of flap procedures like the DIEP flap.
We begin our conversation with the history of the Queen Victory Hospital treating burn victims during WWII. A surgeon from New Zealand, Archibald McIndoe, came to the Queen Victory hospital via a chance meeting with his cousin, Sir Harold Gillies, often considered the father of plastic surgery. Seeing the severe burn injuries sustained by pilots in WWII, McIndoe saw what his cousin, Sir Harold Gillies did using tube pedicles to rebuild the faces of WWI soldiers and expanded on this technique by treating the soldiers at Queen Victoria. He took healthy, unburnt tissue from other sites on the soldiers to reconstruct burnt tissue.
He nurtured this community, and these airmen were considered “guinea pigs” as part of his pioneering work in reconstructive burn surgery. These young airmen treated by Archibald McIndoe became known as the Guinea Pig club. He took them under his care not only during their physical healing but also treating the psychological impact of having disfigurement from these burns. There were over 600 of these airmen. Rob shared some of the photos hanging in the halls of QVH taken during his visit listing the members of The Guinea Pig Club, Archibald McIndoe, and the operating theater.
We go on to discuss modern day techniques used in microsurgery and how Rob became the CEO of Spectros. Flap monitoring is an important question many patients ask about. The T-Stat monitoring system is at the bedside of the patient after DIEP flap breast reconstruction to ensure that the blood flowing into the breast and out of the breast is monitored.
The physician performing the DIEP flap has 24-hour access to real time data provided by the monitoring system via a small sensor placed on the flap to monitor it while the patient is in hospital after surgery. We went on to discuss how T-Stat can be used regardless of the coloration of skin.
I hope this educational podcast discussion will encourage patients to ask about the type of tissue monitoring system their surgeon uses to monitor flaps during their initial consult for breast reconstruction. Many thanks to Rob for educating us about the benefits of the T-Stat system by Spectros.
