• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.550-557
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• 2019

Background In recent years, breast implants have been frequently placed in the subcutaneous pocket, in the so-called prepectoral approach. We report our technique of prepectoral implant-based breast reconstruction (IBR), as well as its surgical and aesthetic outcomes, in comparison with subpectoral IBR. We also discuss relevant considerations and pitfalls in prepectoral IBR and suggest an algorithm for the selection of patients for IBR based on our experiences. Methods We performed 79 immediate breast reconstructions with a breast implant and an acellular dermal matrix (ADM) sling, of which 47 were subpectoral IBRs and 32 were prepectoral IBRs. Two-stage IBR was performed in 36 cases (20 subpectoral, 16 prepectoral), and direct-to-implant IBR in 43 cases (27 prepectoral, 16 subpectoral). The ADM sling supplemented the inferolateral side of the breast prosthesis in the subpectoral group and covered the entire anterior surface of the breast prosthesis in the prepectoral group. Results The postoperative pain score was much lower in the prepectoral group than in the subpectoral group (1.78 vs. 7.17). The incidence of seroma was higher in the prepectoral group (31.3% vs. 6.4%). Other postoperative complications, such as surgical site infection, flap necrosis, implant failure, and wound dehiscence, occurred at similar rates in both groups. Animation deformities developed in 8.5% of patients in the subpectoral group and rippling deformities were more common in the prepectoral group (21.9% vs. 12.8%). Conclusions The indications for prepectoral IBR include moderately-sized breasts with a thick well-vascularized mastectomy flap and concomitant bilateral breast reconstruction with prophylactic mastectomy.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.534-541
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• 2018

Background Nipple-areolar complex (NAC) reconstruction following curative mastectomy is traditionally performed as a second-stage procedure several months after initial breast reconstruction. The recent literature has documented the increasing popularity of immediate nipple reconstruction carried out simultaneously during autologous reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction with immediate breast and nipple reconstruction performed in a single stage after skin-sparing mastectomy. Methods All patients who underwent a skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate latissimus dorsi flap breast and NAC reconstruction as a single-stage procedure from 2007 to 2015 were included. Patient demographics, oncologic details, and surgical outcomes were recorded. The BREAST-Q questionnaire was administered to patients to assess the impact and effectiveness of this reconstructive strategy. Results During the study period, 34 breast and NAC reconstructions in 29 patients were performed at Cork University Hospital. The majority of our patient cohort were non-smokers (93.1%) and did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy. Postoperative complications were infrequent, with no cases of partial necrosis or complete loss of the nipple. The response rate to the BREAST-Q was 62% (n=18). Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the reconstructed breast ($62{\pm}4$), nipple reconstruction ($61{\pm}4.8$), overall outcome ($74.3{\pm}5$), and psychosocial well-being ($77.7{\pm}3.2$). Conclusions Skin-sparing mastectomy with immediate nipple reconstruction during autologous latissimus dorsi reconstruction was demonstrated to be a safe and aesthetically reliable procedure in our cohort, yielding high levels of psychological and physical well-being. A single-stage procedure promotes psychosocial well-being involving issues that are intrinsically linked with breast cancer surgery.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.7-15
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• 2019

Breast animation deformity (BAD) has been reported to occur after submuscular implant placement following breast augmentation and immediate breast reconstruction. Despite its apparent impact on patients' quality of life, BAD has only recently become a topic of general concern. Its incidence and etiology have yet to be established. The aim of this systematic review was to identify papers that clearly defined and classified BAD and described how the degree of animation was assessed. We performed a search in PubMed and Embase. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria that described BAD after implant-based breast augmentation or immediate breast reconstruction were included. After screening 866 publications, four studies were included: three describing BAD after breast augmentation and one describing BAD after immediate breast reconstruction. The median percentage of patients with some degree of BAD was 58%. The highest percentages were found in patients operated on using the Regnault technique or the dual-plane technique (73%-78%). The lowest percentages were found following the dual-plane muscle-splitting technique (30%) and the triple-plane technique (33%). We found no studies meeting the inclusion criteria that analyzed BAD after prepectoral implant placement. This review of the current literature suggests that the degree of BAD is proportional to the degree of muscle involvement. Evidence is scarce, and the phenomenon seems to be underreported. Future comparative studies are warranted.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.321-326
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• 2015

Background The acellular dermal matrix (ADM)-assisted breast reconstruction technique is widely known, but discouraging results due to early postoperative complications have been reported. As the literature identifies seroma as the most common issue after breast surgery without identifying its pathogenesis, we aimed to report the trend of postoperative daily serum collection after ADM-assisted breast reconstruction and compare it with data in the literature in order to discover more about this little-known topic. Methods A retrospective study on 28 consecutive patients who received ADM-assisted breast reconstruction between February 2013 and February 2014 was performed. In order to reduce the number of variables that could affect serum production, only one brand of ADM was used and all tissues were handled gently and precisely. The daily drainage volume was recorded per patient during the first four days of hospitalization. Likewise, postoperative complications were noted during routine follow-up. Results In total, five (17.9%) bilateral and 23 (82.1%) unilateral ADM-assisted breast reconstructions (33 implants) were performed. The mean age, body mass index, and length of hospital stay were 53.6 years, $21.3kg/m^2$, and 4.5 days, respectively. One major complication led to implant loss (3.0%), and nine minor complications were successfully treated with ambulatory surgery (27.3%). Serum collection linearly decreased after 24 hours postoperatively. Conclusions Daily drainage decreased following the theoretical decline of acute inflammation. In concordance with the literature, daily serum production may not be related to the use of ADM.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.360-364
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• 2022

Although capsular contracture represents one of the most important complications after breast augmentation, local inflammation and fibrosis can lead, to capsular calcification, an often-forgotten radiological sign of capsular contracture. In this article, the authors present a clinical case of breast implant calcification in an 81-year-old patient. Although this complication has been rarely described, the literature was reviewed to clarify the role of the local microenvironment in capsular contracture and calcification. At present, capsular contracture patients are classified using the conventional Baker score and the histological Wilflingseder classification. As it was not possible to consider capsular calcification when classifying our patient using the traditional scores, the authors propose an updated version of the current scale.

• Journal of Breast Cancer
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.425-432
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• 2018

Purpose: Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is rare, and its cause and prognosis are not well known. Additionally, treatment is limited with respect to the risk to the fetus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics and treatment trends of PABC and the survival rate according to the treatment. Methods: In the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry database, women younger than 50 years and who were diagnosed with breast cancer from 1996 to 2015 were included. PABC was defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 1 year after delivery. Results: We examined 411 patients with PABC and 83,381 patients with non-PABC. Over time, the proportions of patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery and sentinel lymph node biopsy increased, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy administration rates also increased. In the past, the overall survival of patients with PABC was poorer than that of patients with non-PABC, but there was no difference in overall survival rates in more recent years. There was no difference in overall survival rates between patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66-2.49; p=0.459), but PABC conferred poorer prognosis than non-PABC in patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.27-2.08; p<0.001). Conclusion: There was no difference in the prognosis between patients with PABC and those with non-PABC receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The increase in neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to current treatment guidelines is expected to improve the survival rate of patients with PABC.

• Journal of Breast Disease
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.60-72
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• 2018

Purpose: According to American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guidelines, breast cancer is human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive if there is HER2 protein overexpression at a 3+ level on immunohistochemistry (IHC 3+) or gene amplification (more than six copies per nucleus) on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH+). However, there have been few reports on whether outcomes differ based on diagnosis by these two techniques. In this study, we compared outcomes based on the two methods in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of HER2-positive breast cancer in 18,304 patients, including 14,652 IHC 3+ patients and 3,652 FISH+ patients from the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registry. We compared breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival based on IHC 3+ and FISH+ status with or without trastuzumab. Results: Breast cancer-specific survival was significantly different between the IHC 3+ and FISH+ groups, with 5-year cumulative survival rates of 95.0% for IHC 3+ and 98.5% for FISH+ patients who did not receive trastuzumab (p=0.001) in Kaplan-Meier methods. However, there were no significant differences in breast cancer-specific survival and overall survival between IHC 3+ and FISH+ groups regardless of trastuzumab treatment in Cox proportional hazards models. Conclusion: The survival outcomes were not affected by the different two diagnostic methods of HER2-positive breast cancer. Further research to evaluate differences in prognosis and other characteristics according to the diagnostic methods of HER2 positivity is needed in the future.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.173-180
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• 2013

As microvascular techniques continue to improve, perforator flap free tissue transfer is now the gold standard for autologous breast reconstruction. Various options are available for breast reconstruction with autologous tissue. These include the free transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap, deep inferior epigastric perforator flap, superficial inferior epigastric artery flap, superior gluteal artery perforator flap, and transverse/vertical upper gracilis flap. In addition, pedicled flaps can be very successful in the right hands and the right patient, such as the pedicled TRAM flap, latissimus dorsi flap, and thoracodorsal artery perforator. Each flap comes with its own advantages and disadvantages related to tissue properties and donor-site morbidity. Currently, the problem is how to determine the most appropriate flap for a particular patient among those potential candidates. Based on a thorough review of the literature and accumulated experiences in the author's institution, this article provides a logical approach to autologous breast reconstruction. The algorithms presented here can be helpful to customize breast reconstruction to individual patient needs.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.323-325
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• 2011

Purpose: Breast implant ruptures and displacement are problematic complications after augmentation mammoplasty. The authors report a patient whose cohesive silicone gel implant ruptured and migrated into the pleural cavity after augmentation mammoplasty. Methods: A 23-year-old female had received augmentation mammoplasty at a local clinic a week before visiting our hospital. When the patient's doctor performed a breast massage on the sixth postoperative day, the left breast became flattened. The doctor suspected a breast implant rupture and performed revision surgery. The implant, however, was not found in the submuscular pocket and no definite chest wall defect was found in the operative field. The doctor suspected implant migration into the pleural cavity, and after inserting a new breast implant, the doctor referred the patient to our hospital for further evaluation. The patient's vital signs were stable and she showed no specific symptoms except mild, intermittent pain in the left chest. A CT scan revealed the ruptured implant in the left pleural cavity and passive atelectasis. Results: The intrapleurally migrated ruptured implant was removed by video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). There were no adhesions but there was mild inflammation of the pleura. No definite laceration of the pleura was found. The patient was discharged on the first day after the operation without any complications. Conclusion: Surgeons should be aware that breast implants can rupture anytime and the injury to the chest wall, which may displace the breast implant into the pleural cavity, can happen during submuscular pocket dissection and implant insertion.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.710-715
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• 2022

Background The latissimus musculocutaneous flap (LD flap) is a useful option for breast reconstruction following mastectomy. It has the advantage of obtaining sufficient tissue padding and natural shape by using autologous tissue. However, with the emergence of the skin-sparing mastectomy technique and artificial dermis matrix, direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction has become the first choice of surgery. The purpose of this study was to compare the satisfaction levels of patients who underwent DTI and LD flap with implant using patient-reported Breast-Q results. Methods A retrospective study was performed reviewing the records of 49 women who underwent immediate breast reconstruction with DTI or LD flap with implant and responded to the BREAST-Q questionnaire after the operation. The patient-reported breast-Q results were analyzed and correlated to the demographic information and intraoperative information. Results A total of 26 patients who underwent reconstruction with LD flap with implant and 23 patients with DTI were identified and responded to the questionnaire after an average of 32.3 and 10.4 months postoperation, respectively. According to the patient response to the breast-q values, satisfaction with breast was 60.0 and 57.0 points, psychosocial well-being 61.0 and 60.0 points, and sexual well-being 41.0 and 43.0 points in the two groups. Overall, there was no significant difference in the breastQ score between the two groups. Conclusion Patients who underwent DTI breast reconstruction seemed equally satisfied with the appearance and outcome of their breast reconstruction compared with LD flap with implant. Therefore, it appears that DTI is adequately replacing LD with implant.