Does Pregnancy Predict Incisional Hernia Repair after Abdominally Based Autologous Breast Reconstruction? A Retrospective Review of 890 Free Flaps.

Background: The abdomen is a common donor site in autologous breast reconstruction. The authors aimed to determine whether pregnancy following autologous breast reconstruction increases the risk of incisional hernia repair.

Methods: All women younger than 50 years who underwent abdominally based autologous breast reconstruction between 2005 and 2016 were identified. Patients with less than 20 months of follow-up were excluded. Demographics, operative details, outcomes, incisional hernia repair occurrence, and pregnancy history were analyzed.

Results: Five hundred nineteen patients underwent autologous breast reconstruction with 890 free flaps [free transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous, n = 645 (72.5 percent); deep inferior epigastric perforator, n = 214 (24.0 percent); pedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous, n = 18 (2.0 percent); and superficial inferior epigastric artery, n = 13 (1.5 percent)]. Average follow-up was 57.2 months (range, 9.5 to 312.8 months). Fourteen women became pregnant, with mean postpregnancy follow-up of 31.2 months (range, 5.4 to 70.8 months; pregnancies, n = 18). Age of nonpregnant patients (mean, 43.1 years; range, 20.6 to 50.0 years) was higher than that of pregnant patients (mean, 32.1 years; range, 27.1 to 37.9 years) (p < 0.0001); in univariate analysis, age was not associated with incisional hernia repair. Twelve pregnant patients (66.7 percent) underwent cesarean delivery. No statistically significant differences existed between groups regarding flap type and closure technique. Zero pregnant patients underwent incisional hernia repair, compared with a 6.1 percent incisional hernia repair rate in nonpregnant patients (p = 0.339). In multivariate analysis, prior incisional hernia, hematoma, fascial dehiscence, and reoperation predicted incisional hernia repair.

Conclusion: The authors' results demonstrate that there may not be an increased risk of incisional hernia repair associated with pregnancy following autologous breast reconstruction despite additional weakening of the abdominal wall.

Clinical Question/level Of Evidence: Risk, II.