Quality of life in breast reconstruction: a comparison of lightweight and conventional breast implants.

Background: Due to the declining mortality rates of breast carcinoma and the rising incidence of risk-reducing mastectomies, enhancing the quality of life after breast reconstructions has become an increasingly important goal. The advantages of lightweight breast implants (B-Lite®) may significantly contribute to achieving this objective. This study aims to investigate whether lightweight implants are suitable for patients undergoing breast reconstruction and could improve the quality of life in comparison to conventional implants.

Breast Lipofilling: Is the Bra Really Full? Clinical Bra Pressure Measurement and In Vitro Testing of Processed and Unprocessed Fat Cells.

Background: Breast lipofilling, a popular cosmetic and reconstructive procedure, involves the transplantation of autologous fat to enhance breast volume and contour. Despite its widespread use, cell processing and the aftertreatment remain controversial. This study investigates the pressure applied by a compression bra and reports in vitro stress tests of processed and unprocessed fat cells.

Patient characteristics may affect the lymphatic staining ability of Indocyanine green and Patent blue during lymphaticovenous anastomosis.

Background: The use of dyes like Indocyanine green (ICG) and Patent blue facilitates the identification of lymphatic vessels during lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) surgery. However, some patients experience "staining failure". In these cases, no stained lymphatic vessels can be detected, making supermicrosurgical LVA even more complex.

Lightweight implants in breast reconstruction.

Objective: Since the first use of silicone implants by Cronin in 1962, there have been several attempts to introduce alternative filling materials for breast implants on the market. A promising new development are lightweight implants, whose filler material is one third lighter than conventional silicone gel. While these implants have been used primarily for aesthetic augmentation, a benefit could be expected particularly in post-mastectomy reconstruction.

The effect of radiotherapy on fat engraftment for complete breast reconstruction using lipofilling only.

Purpose: Lipofilling has been established as a standard technique for contour enhancement following breast reconstruction. However, there is a paucity in current literature regarding the use of this technique for complete reconstruction of the female breast as an alternative to conventional techniques, such as expander or flap-based procedures. In particular, the influence of pre-operative irradiation for successful reconstruction has rarely been examined in published studies.

Intraoperative 3D Comparison of Round and Anatomical Breast Implants: Dispelling a Myth.

Background: Thanks to 3D imaging, it is possible to measure the influence of different parameters on breast augmentation. In this study, we compare the effect of different shapes and sizes of breast implants on the topography of the resulting breast. Furthermore, the impact of different breast implants on inter-landmark distances and on changes of the nipple position was assessed.

Comparison of skin sensitivity following breast reconstruction with three different techniques: Autologous fat grafting, DIEP flap and expander/implant1.

Background: Autologous fat grafting (AFG) has been established over the past two decades as an additive technique during and after breast reconstruction. Complete reconstruction of the breast mound with AFG alone represents an exceptional technique that has been published mostly in case reports or in studies with limited cases.The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of three different techniques for breast reconstruction on the recovery of skin sensitivity at the reconstructed breast.

Autologous fat grafting for breast reconstruction after breast cancer: a 12-year experience.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to examine the surgical outcome and complications (efficiency) as well as the incidence of locoregional recurrence and distant metastases (oncological safety) in patients who underwent autologous fat grafting (AFG) of the breast following breast cancer surgery.

Methods: In our monocentric cohort study, retrospective and prospective data were collected from all consecutive patients who underwent AFG after breast cancer between 2008 and 2020; a total of 93 patients met the inclusion criteria.

Results: Our long-term results showed no increase in tumor recurrence and distant metastases in the studied collective when compared to the available literature.

Interleukin-6 trans-signaling is a candidate mechanism to drive progression of human DCCs during clinical latency.

Although thousands of breast cancer cells disseminate and home to bone marrow until primary surgery, usually less than a handful will succeed in establishing manifest metastases months to years later. To identify signals that support survival or outgrowth in patients, we profile rare bone marrow-derived disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) long before manifestation of metastasis and identify IL6/PI3K-signaling as candidate pathway for DCC activation. Surprisingly, and similar to mammary epithelial cells, DCCs lack membranous IL6 receptor expression and mechanistic dissection reveals IL6 trans-signaling to regulate a stem-like state of mammary epithelial cells via gp130.

Recommendations for the Use of Antibiotics in Primary and Secondary Esthetic Breast Surgery.

The use of systemic prophylactic antibiotics to reduce surgical-site infection in esthetic breast surgery remains controversial, although the majority of surgeons prefer to utilize antibiotics to prevent infection. Nonetheless, postoperative acute and subclinical infection and capsular fibrosis are among the most common complications following implant-based breast reconstruction. After esthetic breast augmentation, up to 2.

Breast sensitivity after mastectomy and autologous reconstruction.

Background: Breast Carcinoma is the most common malign tumor disease in women. 20-30% of these tumors have to be treated by removing all of the breast tissue. After that kind of therapeutic procedure, most of the women are severely traumatized and ask for reconstruction.

Patients' experience of breast reconstruction after mastectomy and its influence on postoperative satisfaction.

Purpose: Breast cancer patients have the option to choose a breast reconstruction after mastectomy. A range of studies have postulated that patients' individually appraised significance of their breast is an important factor in the decision for or against breast reconstruction. This study explored the individually perceived significance of the breast among patients with and without breast reconstruction and its correlation with postoperative satisfaction.

Extracorporeal shock wave treatment of capsular fibrosis after mammary augmentation - Preliminary results.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy has undergone continuous development and has become a well-established therapy option both in urology and in orthopaedics/trauma surgery. Experimental and clinical studies have proved the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in the treatment of connective tissue diseases such as fibromatosis. The pathomechanism of capsular fibrosis after augmentation of the female breast with silicone implants presents a series of analogies with mechanisms that are generally recognised to be associated with fibroproliferative diseases.

Bacterial colonization is of major relevance for high-grade capsular contracture after augmentation mammaplasty.

Many studies indicate that subclinical bacterial colonization plays a pivotal role in capsular contracture. Nevertheless, it has not been clarified whether bacterial stimuli are only associated with high-grade (Baker III/IV) or low-grade (Baker I/II) capsular contractures. The study included 45 female patients suffering from unilateral capsular fibrosis following augmentation mammaplasty with silicone implants (smooth: n = 28; textured: n = 17).

Surgical treatment of chronic phantom limb sensation and limb pain after lower limb amputation.

Background: Therapy for phantom sensation and phantom limb pain following amputation is still difficult, because pathophysiologic mechanisms have not been clarified. This report illustrates a simple and useful surgical intervention. The authors propose that changes at the peripheral nerve site can influence the central feeling of phantom sensation and pain.