May 2021
Immediate post-mastectomy autologous breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients requiring post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) minimizes the number of operations patients must undergo and alleviates the psychological impact of living without a breast.
Why this matters
Immediate post-mastectomy autologous breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients requiring post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) minimizes the number of operations patients must undergo and alleviates the psychological impact of living without a breast. This work contributes to evidence-based plastic and reconstructive surgery — helping clinicians interpret outcomes, refine technique, and counsel patients with clearer data.
Author
Plastic and reconstructive surgery resident at Emory University (UCLA BS, USC MD) with an h-index of 15 and peer-reviewed work spanning aesthetic surgery, reconstruction, medical devices, and AI in medicine.
Abstract
Immediate post-mastectomy autologous breast reconstruction in breast cancer patients requiring post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) minimizes the number of operations patients must undergo and alleviates the psychological impact of living without a breast. However, the safety and impact of radiation on the reconstructed breast remains to be established. This study aimed to compare immediate versus delayed autologous reconstruction in the setting of PMRT to determine optimal sequencing of reconstruction and adjuvant radiation. A systematic review of the literature identified 292 studies meeting criteria for full-text review, 44 of which underwent meta-analysis. This represented data on 1,927 immediate reconstruction patients and 1,546 delayed reconstruction patients (3,473 total patients). Early complications included flap loss, fat necrosis, thrombosis, seroma, hematoma, infection, and skin dehiscence. Late complications included fibrosis or contracture, severe asymmetry, hyperpigmentation, and decreased flap volume. Immediate breast reconstruction did not demonstrate significantly increased complication rates. Reported mean complication rates in immediate versus delayed reconstruction groups respectively were fat necrosis 14.91% and 8.12% (p=0.076), flap loss 0.99% and 1.80% (p=0.295), hematoma 1.91% and 1.14% (p=0.247), infection 11.66% and 4.68% (p=0.155), and thrombosis 1.51% and 3.36% (p=0.150). Seroma rates were significantly lower in the immediate cohort at 2.69% versus 10.57% in the delayed cohort (p=0.042). Complication rates are comparable between immediate and delayed breast reconstruction in the setting of PMRT. Given the patient benefits incurred by an immediate reconstruction algorithm, immediate autologous breast reconstruction should be considered as a viable treatment option in patients requiring PMRT.