BACKGROUND Substantial federal resources have been directed toward ensuring the delivery of high-quality care at safety net hospitals. Although disparities in receipt of breast reconstruction persist at the patient level, the extent to which hospital factors contribute to these differences remains unclear. The rates of immediate breast reconstruction across safety net and non-safety net hospita...

Surgery for breast cancer has traditionally addressed the breast as if it were a geometric circle with associated quadrants. Cosmetic reconstruction should not follow geometric patterns but should emphasize perceived contour and normal clothing lines. Similar to nasal reconstruction, a subunit principle in breast reconstruction planning may significantly improve the appearance of the result. To...

We present our experience of bilateral total breast reconstruction using a double-sided extended thoracodorsal artery perforator propeller flap in a case series of 10 patients. Reconstruction was successfully achieved in all cases with few complications. The median time for surgery was 275 minutes (200-330), and the average implant size used was 350 cm(3) (195-650). We demonstrate how the exten...

BACKGROUND Unilateral breast reconstruction can be a challenge when attempting to achieve an aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical breast mound on the contralateral side. This study investigates the outcomes of using a contralateral augmentation transmidline scarless (CATS) technique to simultaneously augment the contralateral breast using implants. METHODS Between January 2004 and July 2016...

Many flaps have been described and are being used in the reconstruction of extensive tissue defects in the thoracic wall. The extended cutaneous thoracoabdominal flap, described in 2006, is an excellent option for chest wall reconstruction in patients with advanced breast cancer, being associated with a low morbidity rate and good functional results. The main disadvantage of this technique is t...

The incidence of breast cancer in Japan has been gradually increasing (1, 2). Although the age at which women are most susceptible to breast cancer is lower than that for other cancers (3), the 5-year posttreatment survival rate in breast cancer is favorable in comparison to that in many other cancers. Thus, the prognosis of patients with breast cancer is relatively good. Therefore, patients’ p...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this procedure was to definitively treat periductal mastitis and periareolar sepsis which was previously resistant to multiple surgical procedures and nonoperative treatment of chronic nipple sepsis. METHODS We employed a multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of end-stage periductal mastitis using a combination of central breast excision and immediate autologous lat...

Neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy and immediate reconstruction for breast cancer are still under debate. But there are recent abstracts and articles which show that neoadjuvant radio chemotherapy is feasible and could improve the clinical outcome of breast cancer patients. The aim of this review is to present the authors' techniques and approaches with regard to neoadjuvant radiation of breast can...

BACKGROUND No consensus has been reached regarding the outcome of management of local recurrence after transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap breast reconstruction. This study demonstrated the presentation, management, and outcomes of local recurrence after immediate TRAM breast reconstruction. METHODS A comparison was conducted among 1,000 consecutive patients who underwent imm...

PURPOSE The pedicled, descending-branch muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi (MSLD) flap has been widely used for breast reconstruction following total mastectomy. However, the superiority of the MSLD flap compared to the conventional latissimus dorsi (CLD) flap in preventing seroma formation has not been demonstrated. This study compares the morbidities related to seroma formation following pedicle...