PurPoSe: Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has gained popularity to enhance lower pole coverage in immediate implant or expander reconstruction. Advantages of ADM include improved rapid reconstruction, postoperative expander filling and lower capsular contracture. Potential trade-offs include higher seroma, infection and cost. Alternatives for implant coverage include local fascial flaps and inferi...

Preservation of the skin envelope and the inframammary fold is the main factor in achieving breast symmetry in unilateral reconstruction. Skin sparing mastectomy (SSM) type-IV followed by immediate autologous reconstruction and contralateral symmetrization permits realizing this goal in large, ptotic breasted patients, and tumor superficially located in the inferior quadrants. If the tumor is s...

BACKGROUND For most breast cancer patients in the Czech Republic, breast reconstruction is available only in a delayed manner. In the Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute (MMCI), suitable candidates are offered immediate breast reconstruction using tissue expander with later exchange to a permanent silicone implant. The aim of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with this type of reconst...

When flap failure occurs in bilateral breast reconstruction, surgeons need to deal with the situation effectively in order to optimize the prosthetic reconstruction and to make the bilateral reconstruction successful [1]. A 46-year-old woman underwent bilateral mastectomy for breast cancer. Axillary dissection, a skin graft from the abdomen, and postmastectomy radiotherapy were also performed o...

BACKGROUND Postmastectomy implant breast reconstruction is typically accomplished in a two-stage process involving a tissue expander that is later exchanged for a permanent implant. Adoption of an immediate one stage reconstruction (1-stage) approach, where feasible, has been slowed by surgeon perception that this method is less likely to achieve acceptable results. METHODS To compare outcome...

BACKGROUND Although direct-to-implant breast reconstruction is a more concise procedure than 2-stage expander/implant reconstruction, it is less frequently performed. Skeptics of direct-to-implant reconstruction cite risk of postoperative complications as a reason for its rejection. To determine whether these perceptions are valid, we evaluated our 13-year experience of acellular dermal matrix ...

BACKGROUND Numerous techniques are used to prevent infection after immediate implant-based breast reconstruction. Postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis is commonly prescribed to decrease the risk of reconstructive failure, despite conflicting evidence regarding its effectiveness. The authors studied whether postoperative antibiotic prophylaxis decreases the risk of infection-related explantation...

Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction can provide an excellent cosmetic result. Despite its increasing popularity, few studies have assessed the risk of recurrence when the procedure is used for the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ. To evaluate the oncologic safety of skin-sparing mastectomy used for the treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ, the recurrence rate was ...

OBJECTIVE Secondary reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery is generally challenging because of the nature of irradiated tissue. The aim of this study was to validate the use of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous (LDM) flaps for secondary breast reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery. METHODS Fifteen consecutive patients who underwent secondary reconstruction with an LDM flap after ...

IMPORTANCE Most women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer do not undergo breast reconstruction. OBJECTIVE To examine correlates of breast reconstruction after mastectomy and to determine if a significant unmet need for reconstruction exists. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries from Los Angeles, California, and Detroit, Michiga...