Long-term clinical outcome of immediate reconstruction after mastectomy

Criteria for indication of breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction has been affirmed as part of the treatment for locally advanced breast tumor, and the development of new techniques has been providing better results and widening surgical indications. The objective of this work was to establish and discuss the different criteria that are related to this indication, mainly in what refers to the timing for the procedure. Oncological, clinical and psychological aspects are evaluated according to experience accumulated in recent years, with immediate and delayed reconstruction, carried out in the most diverse specialized centers. The authors conclude that, in reference to the safety and benefits of immediate reconstruction, it would be indicated for any patient who wants it and presents favorable clinical and psychological conditions, without having any absolute contraindication from the oncological point of view.

Reconstructive surgery in operable breast cancer. Critical evaluation

In a large number of patients suffering from breast carcinoma the surgeon is still forced, for strictly technical reasons and/or by the patient's choice, to perform a radical operation that psychologically and practically compromises the quality of life of the patient, in varying degrees from patient to patient. The authors have analyzed the main characteristics of BR from the esthetic-functional, psychological, and oncological points of view, in the light of a careful examination of the literature and of the data relating to a sample group of 500 BR treated according to a protocol in which BR has been included, with times and modalities depending on the histological type of tumor and the level of local evolution of the disease. The variety of BR techniques available is such as to permit this option in a great variety of cases. Whenever possible, immediate BR, with placement of a breast prosthesis at the same time or after positioning a tissue expander, is to be preferred. If additional skin or muscle is needed, BR is to be performed at a later time by means of more complex techniques (latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap plus prosthesis, TRAM flap, free flap). When performed after adequate evaluation and in a technically valid way, BR gives good esthetic and psychological results, has a low incidence of complications or sequelae, and does not affect the natural history of the disease; in particular, BR does not change the percentage of local recurrence or its early diagnosis and allows adequate multidisciplinary treatment.

Mastectomy with and without immediate breast reconstruction using a musculocutaneous flap

We compared surgical cosmetic results in 83 patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction (MIBR) using a myocutaneous flap with those of 153 patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy without breast reconstruction. Cosmetic results were significantly better in patients who underwent MIBR than radical mastectomy or extended MIBR, although no intergroup difference existed in the reconstructive technique. Neither did any difference exist in the incidence of complications between patients undergoing MIBR and mastectomy without breast reconstruction, or between patients undergoing modified mastectomy and radical or extended mastectomy. Finally, MIBR did not appear to adversely effect recurrence or overall survival. We conclude that MIBR using a myocutaneous flap is an acceptable treatment option for patients with breast cancer.

Psychological response to breast reconstruction. Expectations for and impact on postmastectomy functioning

Breast reconstruction is being considered by increasing numbers of breast cancer patients. Recent controversy over the relative risk to benefit of breast implants suggests a need for more information about who seeks reconstruction, why, and its impact on postmastectomy functioning. Eighty-three women undergoing reconstructive surgery were assessed with respect to surgical and psychological status. Evaluations were made at the time of consultation for breast reconstruction and repeated 2 months or more postsurgery. Findings highlight the overwhelmingly positive effects of postmastectomy breast reconstruction and provide information useful to those counseling or following breast cancer patients who pursue this option.

Risk factors for failure of immediate breast reconstruction with prosthesis after total mastectomy for breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) after mastectomy represents a clear improvement in the quality of life of patients with breast cancer, but prosthesis removal is relatively frequent. Therefore, it is important to identify risk factors related to this removal.

METHODS

A series of 142 patients treated with mastectomy and IBR at the Institut Gustave-Roussy between January 1976 and December 1988 were studied. Forty-seven had an in situ carcinoma, 93 an infiltrating carcinoma, and 2 a fibrosarcoma. IBR failures were defined as removal of the prosthesis, and early failures as removal during the first 7 weeks after IBR.

RESULTS

The early failure rate was significantly higher in patients with invasive carcinomas or fibrosarcomas than patients with in situ carcinomas (12% versus 0%, P = 0.04). The risk of late IBR failure was significantly higher in patients who had received postoperative radiation therapy than patients who did not (P = 0.0002). However, this increased risk applied only to women in whom the chest wall was exposed to radiation because of a high risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

It might be preferable to postpone breast reconstruction for patients with infiltrating breast carcinoma because early complications are not infrequent and could delay adjuvant chemotherapy. Late complications associated with chest wall irradiation could be avoided with the use of alternative techniques such as the transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap procedure.

Oncological aspect of immediate breast reconstruction in mastectomy patients

In this study, we compared the relapse-free and overall survival of 83 patients who underwent mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (MIBR) using a musculocutaneous flap with or without silicone implant with those of 153 patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy without immediate reconstruction. In univariate analysis, the overall and/or relapse-free survival of reconstructed patients with four or more positive axillary lymph nodes or those with menopausal status were significantly inferior compared with those of nonreconstructed patients. In multivariate analysis, however, the immediate breast reconstruction did not appear to have a significant adverse influence on all patients, and on the subgroups stratified by menopausal status or axillary lymph node metastases. Therefore, it was concluded that MIBR using a musculocutaneous flap did not compromise the survival of patients with breast cancer.

Nonimaging aspects of follow-up in breast cancer reconstruction

Follow-up of patients with breast cancer is directed to the early detection of recurrent or metastatic disease and the detection of new primary breast cancer. The survival benefit of early detection is limited to some patients with local failure or new primary tumors. That imaging is not used in follow-up of patients who have had breast cancer reconstruction is related to possible interference with this putative benefit by the reconstructive procedure. Such follow-up is accomplished by the patient's own surveillance, clinical examination, and laboratory testing supplemented by imaging studies. Clinical follow-up trials of women who have undergone breast reconstructive surgery show no evidence that locally recurrent breast carcinoma is masked when compared with follow-up of women who did not undergo reconstructive procedures. Reshaping of the contralateral breast to match the reconstructed breast introduces the possibility of interference with palpation as well as mammographic distortion in some women. This is an uncommon practical problem except when complicated by fat necrosis.

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy. What are today's options?

Breast reconstruction after mastectomy has evolved rapidly in recent years because of public awareness, patient demand, and technical advances. Various methods involving tissue expansion and flap procedures with and without prostheses are currently available. Management of the opposite breast and nipple-areola reconstruction are also options. Patients need to be in good general health to have reconstructive surgery.

Breast reconstruction: progress in the past decade

There have been numerous advances in breast reconstruction techniques of the past decade. The disappearance of the radical mastectomy along with the increased frequency of smaller tumor detection have contributed significantly to these changes. Furthermore, reliable studies have shown that breast reconstruction does not interfere with extirpative surgery or delay postoperative adjuvant therapy if indicated. Studies such as these have led increasing numbers of women to elect immediate breast reconstruction as opposed to delaying that reconstruction for months or even years after the tumor extirpation. The advent of successful breast reconstruction using autogenous tissue provided the most radical change to reconstructive techniques over the past 10 years. The TRAM (transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous) flap was the first of these techniques to be introduced and has rapidly assumed a position of prominence among those techniques chosen for breast reconstruction. The LTTF (lateral transverse thigh flap) and the buttock flap, while requiring microsurgical technique, are important alternatives for those patients who choose autogenous tissue breast reconstruction and should be presented to women during the discussion of alternatives for breast reconstruction. Implant technology has continued to improve with the introduction of the tissue expander, the most important addition in the past decade. Investigations are currently underway to provide a long-term tissue expander that does not have to be removed and replaced by a permanent implant. The ultimate end result would be to create a more normal breast shape without firmness. And the use of stacked or directional expanders may allow more freedom in creation of the new breast shape to conform to the opposite side. Finally, nipple areola reconstruction has improved significantly as the tissues of the breast mound itself are used for the new nipple and areola, thereby avoiding the transfer of grafts from distant sites which do not generally maintain their size or projection over time.

Reconstruction after mastectomy

Advances in materials and techniques, especially those involving transposition of muscle and skin flaps, have made breast reconstruction possible for most women who undergo mastectomy for breast cancer. The availability of this option can alleviate the breast and chest wall deformity that results from virtually all local treatment of breast cancer. It is essential that the reconstruction surgeon be part of the breast cancer management team from the beginning of treatment planning and that this surgeon work closely with the general surgeon, medical oncologist, and radiation therapist as well as the adjunctive treatment team members. The patient's clinical status and the type of local treatment will be significant determinants of the reconstructive options. For women with stage I breast cancer, these decisions may be based largely on the oncologist's local and adjunctive therapy procedures and the woman's desire to proceed or delay. For women with systemic disease, all members of the breast management team may need to agree on the advisability and timing of reconstruction. Central to all of the numerous decisions described in this paper regarding the timing, type, and extent of breast reconstruction is the primary goal of the entire team: the best possible management of the breast cancer itself. The promise of attractive, symmetric, and natural appearing breasts, complete with a symmetric nipple-areolar complex, has eased somewhat the diminishment of self-esteem and the threat to femininity that can accompany the loss of a breast. By lowering fear, the widely recognized availability of breast reconstruction may encourage more women to monitor their breasts and seek diagnosis of changes and may influence selection of the type of local treatment if cancer is detected. Because of the psychological and cultural significance of the breast, the reconstructive surgeon must be particularly sensitive to the psychological and aesthetic expectations of the patient. Even in those patients with metastases and limited life expectancy, breast reconstruction can enhance the quality of life.

The use of tissue expanders in immediate breast reconstruction following mastectomy for cancer

From April 1985 to March 1987, 50 women had 56 mastectomies for documented cancer. A tissue expander was used for immediate reconstruction in each case. The patient records were used to determine morbidity and mortality, as well as to examine the effect of reconstruction on adjuvant therapy, cancer surveillance, adequacy of cancer surgery and patient satisfaction. The patients were followed up for an average of 13 months. Fifty-two of 56 expanders were successfully replaced with a permanent prosthesis. Forty-seven women remain alive. Local or regional recurrence did not occur in any women within the study period. Complications, of which superficial skin necrosis was most common, occurred in 35% of reconstructions and were investigated critically. Patient satisfaction was high. Dissatisfaction was not related to the incidence of complications but rather appeared to reflect the success of the patient's cancer treatment.

Immediate reconstruction after subcutaneous mastectomy

We describe an improved technique for subcutaneous mastectomy using two surgical approaches, one through a short axillary incision and the other through an inframmary incision. Pathological breast tissue is removed from the prepectoral space through the lower incision and a silicone implant is placed in the retropectoral space through the axillary approach. A further modification is described using a laterally rotated inframmary dermis flap to reinforce the lateral margin of the retropectoral space containing the prosthesis.

Surgical technique and pitfalls of breast reconstruction immediately after mastectomy for carcinoma: initial experience

Breast reconstruction immediately after mastectomy is being used with increasing frequency. In a study of the first 100 consecutive patients at our institution who underwent this procedure, with (21 patients) or without (79 patients) later nipple reconstruction, 85% responded affirmatively on a follow-up questionnaire when asked whether they would recommend the procedure to other patients. Moreover, 32% rated their cosmetic results as "perfect." No deaths occurred in the immediate postoperative period, but 13 patients had major complications--most commonly, wound infection or displacement or partial extrusion of the implant. All infections, however, occurred early in the study, and with increasing experience and improved selection of patients, the associated morbidity decreased. For the entire group, the mean duration of hospitalization was 7.8 days, similar to that for patients who undergo mastectomy without reconstruction (7.5 days). The high patient acceptance and the overall good results in this preliminary study support the use of breast reconstruction immediately after mastectomy.

Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction using the inflatable tissue expander

Breast reconstruction following mastectomy has previously relied on the insertion of a silicone gel implant or the use of a myocutaneous flap. We report the use of an innovation, the inflatable tissue expander, for both immediate and delayed breast reconstruction in 26 patients where soft tissue cover was inadequate to permit the use of the silicone implant. By serial inflation of the tissue expander with saline, sufficient tissue cover was achieved for a second operative placement of a silicone prosthesis of appropriate volume to match the normal breast. To date, 10 patients undergoing delayed reconstruction and 5 of 16 patients with immediate reconstruction have had their final prosthesis inserted, while 3 women are satisfied with the result of the expandable implant and desire no further surgery. Only two technical complications have arisen with loss of the expander in one patient who had had recent radiotherapy and in another the tissue expander was placed much too high on the chest wall. Mechanical failure occurred in three cases where disruption of the seam led to sudden deflation in two and a slow leak from the injection port developed in one. One patient also attempted self-inflation leading to deflation of the tissue expander. The cosmetic results were subjectively and objectively very good with capsular distortion present in only one case. We feel that the inflatable tissue expander is simple and safe to use, may be used for immediate reconstruction without compromising the ablative surgery and should be a choice available to general surgeons for providing safe and cosmetically acceptable reconstructive surgery.