Background: There is yet no clear consensus on which method is preferable in secondary breast reconstructions, prosthesis, or autologous tissue.
Methods: In this first prospective randomized study, 29 women underwent reconstruction with expander prosthesis (EP) and 44 with deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap. Inclusion started in 2012 and ended in 2018. Demographic data, complications, surgery time, hospital days, and consulting visits were recorded. Patient satisfaction was evaluated pre- and postoperatively using the BREAST-Q questionnaire. Health care costs were calculated based on rates from the financial year 2018. Here, we report the results related to the surgery and the first 30 postoperative days.
Results: The two groups were comparable regarding demographics and clinical characteristics. Satisfaction with breasts, measured with BREAST-Q, was significantly higher in patients who had undergone reconstruction with DIEP flap compared with EP. Within 30 days after breast reconstruction, significantly fewer women (n = 2) in the EP group suffered complications compared to the DIEP flap group (n = 16; p < 0.01). The health care cost was also significantly higher in the DIEP flap group relative to the EP group (p < 0.01).
Discussion: This patient cohort will be studied systematically over time, and results concerning the need for complementary surgery, costs, esthetics, and the patient-reported outcome (PRO) will be reported in future work. In this short-term report, EP seems to be preferable in regard to cost and complications, and DIEP flap is to choose from the patient's perspective.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2020.10.104 | DOI Listing |
BMJ Open
January 2025
Department of Breast Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China
Introduction: Despite its therapeutic advantages, postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) increases the risk of complications and often leads to poor cosmesis in women undergoing breast reconstruction. Preoperative radiotherapy followed by skin-sparing mastectomy and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction is technically feasible, with low rates of surgical complications and good short-term oncological outcomes. Further evaluation in a randomised trial comparing preoperative radiotherapy versus conventional PMRT in breast reconstruction is required to assess both oncological and patient-reported outcomes (PROs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrosurgery
January 2025
Service de Chirurgie Plastique, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.
Background: Venous congestion due to superficial venous system dominance (SVD) in deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap surgery occurs in approximately 2% of cases, with attendant sequelae and increased cost to healthcare systems. This study aimed to describe the predictive factors for SVD in DIEP flap breast reconstruction based on preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) findings.
Methods: All women who required takebacks for additional venous anastomosis to the cephalic vein because of SVD after DIEP flap breast reconstruction between 2015 and 2022 were included.
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
January 2025
From the Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Medicine and Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Background: The deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap is universally considered the gold standard technique for breast reconstruction (BR), though it cannot always be proposed to patients with insufficient donor-site volume. We explore the efficacy of autologous fat transfer (AFT) of the Holm abdomen zone IV in the retropectoral plane during DIEP flap reconstruction (lipo-DIEP flap), to enhance the volume provided by the abdominal donor site in patients with low body mass index (BMI).
Methods: We prospectively enrolled patients with BMI less than 25 kg/m and candidates for lipo-DIEP flap BR (group A) comparing them with a control group (group B) undergoing traditional DIEP flap BR with the same characteristics of the first group (BMI < 25 kg/m).
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
January 2025
From the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.
Background: Obesity is widely recognized as a significant risk factor for postoperative complications of breast reconstruction. Despite extensive research, there remains a lack of consensus regarding the specific complications and outcomes experienced by patients with obesity who undergo deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap reconstruction. To provide a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by patients with obesity, we present a single-center outcome analysis of individuals who underwent DIEP flap reconstruction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlast Reconstr Surg Glob Open
January 2025
From the Department of Plastic Surgery, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
The demand for aesthetic surgery continues to increase, and it is therefore essential to ensure that the next generation of plastic surgeons are adequately trained. We propose a safe method in aesthetic training in abdominoplasty and facelift, utilizing free deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap and parotidectomy for training aesthetic procedures. The trainees' focus differed between the 2 procedures.
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