Comparison of postoperative pain control in autologous abdominal free flap versus implant-based breast reconstructions.

Background: Women who undergo mastectomy and breast reconstruction are shown to express more pain than those who undergo mastectomy alone. The authors evaluated postoperative pain outcomes following breast reconstruction.

Methods: Patients undergoing primary implant-based (n = 1038) or flap-based (n = 837) reconstructions from 2004 to 2012 at the University of California, Los Angeles, were evaluated.