Yoav Barnea1, Gal Bracha2, Ehud Arad2, Eyal Gur2, Amir Inbal2. 1. Plastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery Unit, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann St., 6423906, Tel Aviv, Israel. ybarnea@gmail.com. 2. Plastic and Reconstructive Breast Surgery Unit, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated with the Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, 6 Weizmann St., 6423906, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Breast conservation therapy (BCT) can cause breast distortion and asymmetry. Repair of this asymmetry by means of breast reduction or mastopexy procedures can be challenging and harbor considerably high rates of complications. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we describe our experience in repairing post-BCT breast asymmetry by performing breast reduction or mastopexy. The surgical protocol we followed consisted of stringent patient selection, thorough surgical planning, basic surgical refinements, and patient education for enhancing the likelihood of achieving a good outcome with minimal surgical complications. RESULTS: Our search of the departmental database identified 25 patients with breast asymmetry who had undergone breast reduction or mastopexy between 2009 and 2017. Corrective surgery was performed 4 years on average after the completion of radiotherapy, and those patients included eleven who had undergone breast reduction and fourteen who had undergone mastopexy on the radiated side. Two patients (8%) had major complications that required further surgery (major fat necrosis, wound infection, and breast deformation), and five patients (20%) had minor complications (infection, minor fat necrosis, wound dehiscence, and nipple congestion). All complications developed on the radiated breast. There was no correlation between the occurrence of complications and patients' demographics, tumor type, tumor location, and breast tissue resection (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Only two of our 25 patients had major complications following breast reduction and mastopexy for the repair of asymmetry post-BCT. Following our four-step protocol was instrumental in leading to the successful performance of these procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
BACKGROUND: Breast conservation therapy (BCT) can cause breast distortion and asymmetry. Repair of this asymmetry by means of breast reduction or mastopexy procedures can be challenging and harbor considerably high rates of complications. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we describe our experience in repairing post-BCT breast asymmetry by performing breast reduction or mastopexy. The surgical protocol we followed consisted of stringent patient selection, thorough surgical planning, basic surgical refinements, and patient education for enhancing the likelihood of achieving a good outcome with minimal surgical complications. RESULTS: Our search of the departmental database identified 25 patients with breast asymmetry who had undergone breast reduction or mastopexy between 2009 and 2017. Corrective surgery was performed 4 years on average after the completion of radiotherapy, and those patients included eleven who had undergone breast reduction and fourteen who had undergone mastopexy on the radiated side. Two patients (8%) had major complications that required further surgery (major fat necrosis, wound infection, and breast deformation), and five patients (20%) had minor complications (infection, minor fat necrosis, wound dehiscence, and nipple congestion). All complications developed on the radiated breast. There was no correlation between the occurrence of complications and patients' demographics, tumor type, tumor location, and breast tissue resection (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Only two of our 25 patients had major complications following breast reduction and mastopexy for the repair of asymmetry post-BCT. Following our four-step protocol was instrumental in leading to the successful performance of these procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Entities:
Keywords:
Breast conservation therapy; Breast reduction; Mastopexy; Radiated breast