Influence of radiotherapy on immediate breast reconstruction after skin-sparing mastectomy. Before or after: Does it matter?

Introduction: The use of bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is increasing. Radiotherapy increases complications; however, its uses have been extended. We evaluate the profile of the complications and long-term failure of reconstruction through a comparative analysis with a cohort without radiotherapy.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy with immediate reconstruction during 2000-2016. Three groups were evaluated: 1) patients who received radiotherapy and posterior breast reconstruction; 2) patients with bilateral mastectomy and immediate reconstruction following adjuvant radiotherapy; 3) patients who did not receive radiotherapy at all. Demographic variables, surgical techniques and postoperative morbidity were assessed. Outcomes and complications were compared between cohorts. Analysis was done with SPSS Statistics.

Results: 296 bilateral mastectomies with immediate reconstruction. Mean age 48.4 ± 9. No differences in comorbidity in the different groups. Group 1: 125 patients. Radiotherapy given 21.69 months before, on average. Complication rate: 20%. Failure of reconstruction rate: 20%. Reoperation rate: 33.6%. Group 2: 71 patients. Radiotherapy after reconstruction: mean 134.2 days. Complication rate: 36.7%. Failure of reconstruction rate: 21.1%. Reoperation rate: 16.9%. Group 3: 100 patients. Complication rate: 25%. Failure of reconstruction rate: 21%. Reoperation rate: 20%. Morbidity published in patients after radiotherapy before or after reconstruction is higher than complications in patients who did not receive radiotherapy. Even so, in our series they were similar. We found a higher sequelae rate in group 1, with almost double the rate of reoperation.

Conclusions: Patients who underwent radiotherapy before reconstruction had a higher risk of developing failure of reconstruction and needing reoperation than those patients who received radiotherapy after breast reconstruction or did not receive radiotherapy at all.