Dr Joe Dusseldorp

Dr Joe Dusseldorp Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon with subspecialty interest in DIEP flap breast reconstruction.

Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Medical School. Biomedical Device Developer with PhD in Clinical Translation of Biotechnology.

07/07/2026

If you’re facing a mastectomy, or you’ve already had one, you have more options than you might think.

If no one has walked you through all of this yet, book a consultation. It’s a conversation, not a commitment. Understanding the full picture changes everything.

Save this post. Share it with someone who needs it.

📍 Sydney & regional NSW — telehealth available

If you’ve just been told you need a mastectomy, I want to speak directly to you for a moment.Right now, you might be in ...
30/06/2026

If you’ve just been told you need a mastectomy, I want to speak directly to you for a moment.

Right now, you might be in shock, trying to hold everything together while it feels like everything has fallen apart. You might have a thousand questions and no idea where to start. Or you might have gone quiet, not ready to consider what comes next.

All of that is completely normal, and none of it means you’re not handling this.

You don’t have to have it all figured out yet.

You don’t have to know what you want to do.

You don’t even have to be ready to talk.

But when you are ready to ask questions, to understand your options and to take one small step toward feeling less alone, I’m here.

I’m a breast reconstruction surgeon based in Sydney, and I can assure you there is no wrong decision when it comes to what you want to do with your body: reconstruction or no reconstruction, immediate or delayed.

So I want to say this clearly: it is never too early to have a conversation. A consultation is not a commitment. It’s information, delivered gently, without pressure. And information like that can change how this whole experience feels.

You don’t have to figure this out alone. My role is to make sure you have the information, the time and the space to make your decision with confidence. Because the decision that’s right for you, is the only right decision.

📍I see women in Sydney and across regional NSW, and I offer telehealth consultations for anyone who can’t easily travel.

📝 This post is intended to raise awareness and offer support. It doesn’t replace personalised advice from your treating team. A GP or specialist referral is required before a reconstruction consultation.

23/06/2026

Is it just me, or is 2026 moving at a crazy pace?

I’ve been laser-focused on delivering the highest standard of breast reconstruction, and suddenly the first half of the year is almost gone. Given we have already performed over a hundred breast reconstructions so far this year, it is no wonder I have been a little quiet on social media!

Without a shadow of a doubt the highlight to date has been our first ever Show and Tell Event in May. Two themes emerged for me:

1) the intensely negative emotions that accompany the prospect of a mastectomy, and
2) the transformative effect that knowledge can have.

I’ll never forget the dramatically different responses submitted by the attendees when they were asked how they felt about the prospect of their breast surgery on arrival at the event, and again immediately after. You can see for yourself in the word clouds how extraordinary this emotional shift was in just a few short hours.

This reinforces my passion for doing what I do, and reminds me why time spent sharing information is so important.

So for the next three months, in the lead up to breast cancer awareness month in October, I will be sharing content that covers everything I wish women knew when embarking on a breast reconstruction journey.

Please follow along, feel free to comment, suggest topics you would like me to cover, and please share this information with anyone you think might need to hear it.

Knowledge is power. And a life re-imagined after breast cancer is empowerment personified.

As the inspiring Luan Lawrenson-Woods | Breast Reconstruction & Women’s Health
would say:

Inherited Cancers Australia

Most skin cancers grow slowly, but that’s not always the case. Keep your eyes open for these 5 signs that your skin shou...
08/02/2026

Most skin cancers grow slowly, but that’s not always the case.

Keep your eyes open for these 5 signs that your skin should be checked sooner rather than later.

🚩 Rapid growth or fast change to a spot
🚩 A sore that won’t heal
🚩 A lesion that feels firmly fixed to the tissue beneath
🚩 Loss of sensation, or an odd tingling or itching around a spot
🚩 Spots on particular locations on the face

Early assessment makes treatment options simpler and safer, and improves the cosmetic and functional outcome.

Don’t delay. Swipe for details that can help you identify a potential red flag.

See your doctor if you notice anything, and seek a second opinion if you remain concerned.


- This information is offered to raise awareness and does not constitute individual medical advice.
- Regulations require us to remove comments that could be perceived as testimonials.
- Ensure your surgeon is FRACS qualified.

Dr Joe Dusseldorp, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA Registration MED0001199371

21/01/2026

The first 48 hours after your DIEP flap breast reconstruction surgery requires intensive monitoring. Some surgeons prefer patients to be in ICU for this period, but my patients go straight to the ward, where we try to create a calm and peaceful environment.

However, nurses must check your flap hourly to ensure good blood flow, and being woken this regularly can feel like sleep torture!

It’s one of the reasons I trialled a new way of monitoring your flap that does not require waking you so often. The T-Stat device is a simple surface probe attached to your flap during surgery. It monitors tissue oxygen levels and haemoglobin concentration in the flap.

I can personally check it on my phone at any time of day or night, which gives me peace of mind and you the opportunity to sleep better in the early phase of your recovery. This can have beneficial flow-on effects, such as reducing the need for pain medication and helping to get you home sooner.

🎧 You can listen and watch my conversation with Luan Lawrenson-Woods on her Rewritten Me podcast where we cover flap monitoring after surgery and at home.



Dr Joe Dusseldorp, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA Registration MED0001199371

My goal for DIEP Answers is to help you become a more confident advocate for your own health outcomes.You know yourself ...
20/01/2026

My goal for DIEP Answers is to help you become a more confident advocate for your own health outcomes.

You know yourself better than anyone else, and your medical team need to hear your voice, your questions, your opinions, your fears, and especially your hopes.

So here are a few questions you should consider asking your medical team right at the beginning of your treatment journey:

❓Will you share decision-making with me in my breast reconstruction journey?
❓Can you work with my breast surgeon on an immediate DIEP flap reconstruction?
❓Under what circumstances would you recommend saving my ni***es or sacrificing them?
❓Do I have enough tummy tissue to achieve my goals? (Especially if you are slim and have a goal to be A or B cup)
❓Can I have a breast reduction or breast lift at the same time as DIEP flap?
❓What impact will this procedure have on my tummy?
❓How many surgeries do you recommend to achieve my desired results?
❓Can you show me results of women similar to me?

Every question that arises in your mind is worth asking, so never hold back. The more curious you are, the more you'll learn. Your medical team wants to help you reach your goals, but they can’t know how you feel if you haven’t told them.

Dr Joe Dusseldorp, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA Registration MED0001199371

- Find the full video series via the link in my bio.
- This education series is offered to raise awareness and does not constitute individual medical advice.
- Please ask any you would like answered in this education series.
- Individual results vary and are not guaranteed.
- All surgery carries risk and potential complications.
- Make sure your surgeon is FRACS qualified, feel comfortable seeking a second opinion, and speak to other women who have lived experience of the process.

19/01/2026

I get asked often, “Am I a candidate for the DIEP flap?”

My response is, “It depends on what your goals are and how you want to live your life after reconstruction.”

Women of all shapes and sizes can explore whether DIEP flap breast reconstruction is right for them. Apart from a small number of medical factors that may preclude eligibility, your breast reconstruction decision is less about your body shape and much more a question of your goals.

As you can see in this video, women of all shapes and sizes can explore whether this procedure is right for them. Many women want their breasts to remain the same size and shape, but it is equally common that women want to explore the possibility of reconstructing their breasts to be a different size. DIEP flap breast reconstruction is personalised surgery, and your goals should be the most important factor driving discussions with your surgeon.

Watch the full video series on YouTube via the link in my bio.
Visit diepanswers on Instagram to find more resources.

- This information is offered to raise awareness and does not constitute individual medical advice.
- Regulations require us to remove comments that could be perceived as testimonials.
- All images and anecdotes are shared with patient consent.
- Individual results vary and are not guaranteed. All surgery carries risk and potential complications.
- Ensure your surgeon is FRACS qualified, be comfortable seeking a second opinion, and speak to women who have lived experience of the process.

Dr Joe Dusseldorp, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA Registration MED0001199371

I recently connected with Dr Rebecca Overton on the Healthed Podcast to discuss how I approach surgical planning for ski...
17/12/2025

I recently connected with Dr Rebecca Overton on the Healthed Podcast to discuss how I approach surgical planning for skin cancer reconstruction. This podcast focuses on clinical takeaways for General Practitioners, aiming to cover topics they may face in their practice.

We covered a lot of ground including:

⚖️Factors to take into account when deciding between flaps and grafts;
🔬Why a punch biopsy is the single most useful diagnostic tool in the management of skin cancer;
👃How we use the natural “seams” of the face—like the fold beside the nose, the crease in front of the ear, the eyelid junctions—to hide scars where the eye doesn’t naturally look.

At this time of year when sun damage is at the forefront of people’s minds, I hope this podcast will be a useful resource.

🌞Note that you will need to be logged in to listen to the whole podcast. I will share more general tips over the summer for those interested in learning more about skin cancer reconstruction.

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. It’s easy to dismiss this as a disease that mainly affects ...
18/11/2025

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world.

It’s easy to dismiss this as a disease that mainly affects older people, but the damage that leads to most skin cancers is caused by unprotected UV exposure early in life.

When I perform complex facial surgery on those with skin cancer, I’m reminded that the sun we love can be disfiguring, and sometimes deadly.

Skin cancer is almost entirely preventable by using the five forms of sun protection:

👖Slip into sun-protective clothing,
🧴Slop on SPF50+ sunscreen,
👒Slap on a broad-brimmed hat,
🌴Seek shade,
😎Slide on sunglasses.

As we head into summer in Australia, I encourage you to take these simple steps. My family and I certainly will.

Some of my most important conversations with women considering breast reconstruction post mastectomy take place when I s...
02/11/2025

Some of my most important conversations with women considering breast reconstruction post mastectomy take place when I show a series of before and after images from other patients. Viewing these images helps women become more informed questioners and make more informed decisions. 🙋‍♀️

Viewing before and afters on social media doesn’t come with a personalised conversation. While viewing examples of real women’s results can be informative and empowering when presented in an educational context, we all know that social media can also amplify anxiety. 🤳

For that reason, when we now share before and after images, we’ll include a cover page, giving you the opportunity to decide whether you want to continue with the post or reel. 🫣

I encourage you to use such images as just one more tool to deepen your understanding about reconstruction after mastectomy, and think about the questions you want to ask your medical team. 🤔

All of our before and after images are shared with consent from each patient. They know they are helping someone who is standing where they once stood, at a difficult crossroad trying to make decisions about how to move forward from mastectomy. We are very grateful for their willingness to share. 🤗



- This information is offered to raise awareness and does not constitute individual medical advice.
- Regulations require us to remove comments that could be perceived as testimonials.
- All images and anecdotes are shared with patient consent.
- Individual results vary and are not guaranteed. All surgery carries risk and potential complications.
- Ensure your surgeon is FRACS qualified, seek a second opinion, and speak to other women who have lived experience of the process.

Dr Joe Dusseldorp, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, AHPRA Registration MED0001199371

Address

Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, 119-143 Missenden Road
Sydney, NSW
2050

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

Telephone

+611300598886

Website

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