Open AccessRadiotherapy and Immediate Expander/Implant Breast Reconstruction: Should Reconstruction be Delayed?
Author(s) -
DruckerZertuche Monica,
BargalloRocha Enrique,
ZamoraDel Rio Raul
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the breast journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1524-4741
pISSN - 1075-122X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1524-4741.2011.01090.x
Subject(s) - medicine , capsular contracture , breast reconstruction , implant , radiation therapy , mastectomy , surgery , complication , breast augmentation , tissue expander , breast cancer , cancer
Chest wall irradiation is very common for mastectomy patients that have opted for immediate breast reconstruction. We reviewed a 6 year experience with tissue expander implant reconstruction with and without radiotherapy in 97 patients. All patients were evaluated with respect to aesthetic outcome, infection, implant exposure, capsular contracture, displacement and failure of the reconstruction; more than 50% of our irradiated patients resulted in a complication. The findings of this study demonstrate that the rate of complications and the rate of patients requiring corrective surgeries in irradiated patients is significant in early follow up.