Immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy--why do women choose this option?

INTRODUCTION Mastectomy is an essential but disfiguring operation in cancer treatment. The negative impact on body image can however be prevented by immediate reconstruction. AIM The aim of this study was to determine the reasons why patients choose to have or not to have immediate breast reconstruction. METHODOLOGY This is a cross sectional descriptive study of breast cancer patients post-mastectomy who had and had not undergone immediate breast reconstruction. The patients were asked a series of questions to ascertain the reasons why they chose or did not choose immediate breast reconstruction. RESULTS 136 patients in total were interviewed of which 23 had undergone immediate breast reconstruction. 36.8% of the patients had been offered reconstruction. In the non-reconstructed group, the main reason for not having reconstruction were fear of additional surgery. In the group that had reconstruction done, the main reason was to feel whole again. Low on the list were reasons such as trying to improve marital or sexual relations. CONCLUSION Only a third of patients undergoing mastectomy were offered immediate reconstruction. In public hospitals in developing countries, limited operating time and availability of plastic surgery services are major barriers to more women being offered the option.