• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.622-627
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• 2007

Purpose: Although the autogenous tissue transfer has been the mainstay of the breast reconstruction, concern for the donor site morbidity can lead to the superseded method using tissue expander with implant or permanent expander-implant. However, the additional procedure of tissue expansion possibly cause discomfort and raise the cost. We tried to verify the efficacy of using the saline-filled breast implant by itself for the safe and convenient immediate breast reconstruction modality if the patients have small, round and non-ptotic breasts and the sufficient breast skin can be saved with mastectomy. Methods: From July 2002 to July 2005, 29 breasts of 26 patients were restored only with the saline-filled breast implant immediately after the skin sparing or nipple-areolar skin sparing mastectomy in Asan Medical Center. A pocket with pectoralis major and serratus anterior muscle was created and the implant was covered with this muscle pocket. Simultaneous contralateral augmentation was performed in patients whose mastectomy specimen weighed less than 100g. Results: Using only the saline-filled breast implant resulted in the successful reconstruction with few complications including partial necrosis of nipple areolar skin (five cases, 17.2%), capsular contracture (three cases, 10.3%), hematoma (one case, 3.4%), depigmentation of areolar skin (one case, 3.4%), hypertrophic scar (one case, 3.4%), which were all healed by conservative management. There were no significant complications such as implant exposure and subsequent removal. Conclusion: Immediate breast reconstruction only with the saline-filled breast implant can be a satisfactory alternative option for the patients whose breast is small, round and non-ptotic, especially when the nipple-areolar skin of the breast is preserved in the mastectomy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.361-366
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• 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of the breast tissue expander implanted patients who require MRI examination. Torques were 0ml, 150 ml, 300 ml, 450 ml at 1.5 Tesla forward direction, 4, 3, 3, and 2 respectively, and 1.5 Tesla reverse direction at 4, 4, 4, 3 respectively. In the 3.0 T environment, 4 was shown in all conditions. In the overturning experiment, no overturning occurred in more than 300 ml in the 1.5Tesla environment, and most of the overturning occurred in the 3.0 Tesla environment. In terms of safety, MRI scans of patients with breast tissue expanders should be avoided at 3.0 Tesla and conditionally at 1.5 Tesla.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.79-83
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• 2019

Robotic surgery facilitates surgical procedures by employing flexible arms with multiple degrees of freedom and providing high-quality 3-dimensional imaging. Robot-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate reconstruction is currently performed to avoid breast scars. Four patients with invasive ductal carcinoma underwent robot-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate robot-assisted expander insertion. Through a 6-cm incision along the anterior axillary line, sentinel lymph node biopsy and nipple-sparing mastectomy were performed by oncologic surgeons. The pectoralis major muscle was elevated, an acellular dermal matrix (ADM) sling was created with robotic assistance, and an expander was inserted into the subpectoral, sub-ADM pocket. No patients had major complications such as hematoma, seroma, infection, capsular contracture, or nipple-areolar necrosis. The mean operation time for expander insertion was 1 hour and 20 minutes, and it became shorter with more experience. The first patient completed 2-stage prosthetic reconstruction and was highly satisfied with the unnoticeable scar and symmetric reconstruction. We describe several cases of immediate robot-assisted prosthetic breast reconstruction. This procedure is a feasible surgical option for patients who want to conceal surgical scars.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.424-429
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• 2016

Background The objective of this paper was to describe a novel technique for improving the maintenance of nipple projection in primary nipple reconstruction by using acellular dermal matrix as a strut in one of three different configurations, according to the method of prior breast reconstruction. The struts were designed to best fill the different types of dead spaces in nipple reconstruction depending on the breast reconstruction method. Methods A total of 50 primary nipple reconstructions were performed between May 2012 and May 2015. The prior breast reconstruction methods were latissimus dorsi (LD) flap (28 cases), transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap (10 cases), or tissue expander/implant (12 cases). The nipple reconstruction technique involved the use of local flaps, including the C-V flap or star flap. A $1{\times}2-cm$ acellular dermal matrix was placed into the core with O-, I-, and L-shaped struts for prior LD, TRAM, and expander/implant methods, respectively. The projection of the reconstructed nipple was measured at the time of surgery and at 3, 6, and 9 months postoperatively. Results The nine-month average maintenance of nipple projection was $73.0%{\pm}9.67%$ for the LD flap group using an O-strut, $72.0%{\pm}11.53%$ for the TRAM flap group using an I-strut, and $69.0%{\pm}10.82%$ for the tissue expander/implant group using an L-strut. There were no cases of infection, wound dehiscence, or flap necrosis. Conclusions The application of an acellular dermal matrix with a different kind of strut for each of 3 breast reconstruction methods is an effective addition to current techniques for improving the maintenance of long-term projection in primary nipple reconstruction.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.106-113
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• 2021

Background: We aimed to investigate the analgesic efficacy of an erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) with a tissue expander. Methods: Adult women undergoing IBR with a tissue expander after mastectomy were randomly assigned to either intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) alone (group P) or IV-PCA plus ESPB (group E). The primary outcome was the total amount of opioid consumption during 24 hours postoperatively between the two groups. Secondary outcomes were patient satisfaction, pain score at rest and on shoulder movement using numerical rating scale, incidences of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and a short form of the brief pain inventory (BPI-SF) at 3 and 6 months after surgery between the groups. Results: Fifty eight patients completed the study. At 24 hours postoperatively, total opioid consumption was significantly less in group E than in group P (285.0 ± 92.0, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 250.1 to 320.0 vs. 223.2 ± 83.4, 95% CI: 191.5 to 254.9, P = 0.005). Intraoperative and cumulative PCA fentanyl consumption at 3, 6, 9, and 24 hours were also less in group E than in group P (P = 0.004, P = 0.048, P = 0.020, P = 0.036, and P < 0.001, respectively). Patient satisfaction was higher in group E (6.9 ± 1.8 vs. 7.8 ± 1.4, P = 0.042). The incidences of PONV was similar. Conclusions: The ESPB decreased postoperative opioid consumption and increased patient satisfaction without significant complications after IBR with a tissue expander after mastectomy.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.333-339
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• 2018

Background Flap volume is an important factor for obtaining satisfactory symmetry in breast reconstruction with a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) free flap. We aimed to develop an easy and simple method to estimate flap volume. Methods We performed a preoperative estimation of the TRAM flap volume in five patients with breast cancer who underwent 2-stage breast reconstruction following an immediate tissue expander operation after a simple mastectomy. We measured the height and width of each flap zone using a ruler and measured the tissue thickness by ultrasound. The volume of each zone, approximated as a triangular or square prism, was then calculated. The zone volumes were summed to obtain the total calculated volume of the TRAM flap. We then determined the width of zone II, so that the calculated flap volume was equal to the required flap volume ($1.2{\times}1.05{\times}$the weight of the resected mastectomy tissue). The TRAM flap was transferred vertically so that zone III was located on the upper side, and zone II was trimmed in the sitting position after vascular anastomosis. We compared the estimated flap width of zone II (=X) with the actual flap width of zone II. Results X was similar to the actual measured width. Accurate volume replacement with the TRAM flap resulted in good symmetry in all cases. Conclusions The volume of a free TRAM flap can be straightforwardly estimated preoperatively using the method presented here, with ultrasound, ruler, and simple calculations, and this technique may help reduced the time required for precise flap tailoring.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.716-723
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• 2022

Background In March 2021, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) safety communication cautioned against the use of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) products in breast reconstruction and reiterated that the FDA does not approve ADM use in breast surgery. This study aims to assess the safety of ADM use in breast reconstruction. Methods Women who underwent ADM and non-ADM assisted tissue expander (TE)-based breast reconstruction were identified using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database (2012-2019). Trends of ADM use over time, and 30-day outcomes of surgical site infection (SSI), dehiscence, and unplanned reoperation were assessed. Results Of the 49,049 TE-based breast reconstructive cases, 42.4% were ADM assisted and 57.6% non-ADM assisted. From 2012 to 2019, the use of ADM increased from 26.1 to 55.6% (relative risk [RR] =1.10; p < 0.01). Higher rates of SSI (3.9 vs. 3.4%; p = 0.003) and reoperation (7.4 vs. 6.0%; p < 0.001) were seen in the ADM cohort. There was no significant difference seen in dehiscence rates (0.7 vs. 0.7%; p = 0.73). The most common reoperation within 30 days for the ADM group (17.6%) was removal of TE without insertion of implant (current procedural terminology: 11,971). ADM-assisted breast reconstruction was associated with increased relative risk of SSI by 10% (RR = 1.10, confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.21; p = 0.03) and reoperation by 15% (RR = 1.15, CI: 1.08-1.23; p < 0.001). Conclusions ADM-assisted breast reconstruction more than doubled from 2012 to 2019. There are statistically higher complication rates of SSI (0.5%) and reoperation (1.4%) with ADM use in TE-based breast reconstruction, suggesting that reconstruction without ADM is safe when comparing immediate postoperative outcomes.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.89-90
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• 2018

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.316-320
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• 2015

Background CGCryoDerm was first introduced in 2010 and offers a different matrix preservation processes for freezing without drying preparation. From a theoretical perspective, CGCryoDerm has a more preserved dermal structure and more abundant growth factors for angiogenesis and recellularization. In the current study, the authors performed a retrospective study to evaluate freezing- and freeze-drying-processed acellular dermal matrix (ADM) to determine whether any differences were present in an early complication profile. Methods Patients who underwent ADM-assisted tissue expander placement for two stage breast reconstruction between January of 2013 and March of 2014 were retrospectively reviewed and divided into two groups based on the types of ADM-assisted expander reconstruction (CGDerm vs. CGCryoDerm). Complications were divided into four main categories and recorded as follows: seroma, hematoma, infection, and mastectomy skin flap necrosis. Results In a total of 82 consecutive patients, the CGCryoDerm group had lower rates of seroma when compared to the CGDerm group without statistical significance (3.0% vs. 10.2%, P=0.221), respectively. Other complications were similar in both groups. Reconstructions with CGCryoDerm were found to have a significantly longer period of drainage when compared to reconstructions with CGDerm (11.91 days vs. 10.41 days, P=0.043). Conclusions Preliminary findings indicate no significant differences in early complications between implant/expander-based reconstructions using CGCryoderm and those using CGDerm.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.755-760
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• 2009

Purpose: Breast surgeons usually insert tissue expander or implant beneath the subpectoral - subglandular dual plane in breast reconstruction. But sometimes it happens unsatisfactory lower pole fullness, asymmetric inframammary fold and breast shape because there is implant migration due to the pectoralis major muscle contraction and gravity. To solve all the problem like these, we introduce implant breast reconstruction using AlloDerm$^{(R)}$(LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, N.J.) sling. Methods: The AlloDerm$^{(R)}$ sling was used in 13 patients and 18 breasts for implant breast reconstruction. After mastectomy, costal and lower sternal insertion of pectoralis major muscle was detached. Rehydrated AlloDerm$^{(R)}$ was sutured to the chest wall and serratus anterior fascia at the level of inframammary fold downward and to lower border of the pectoralis major muscle upward like crescent shape with tension free technique after implant insertion into the subpectoral - subAlloDerm dual pocket. Results: We make satisfactory lower pole fullness, symmetric inframammary fold and breast shape. In conclusion, patients obtain relatively natural breast shape. There was no complication except one case of capsular contracture and one case of breast cellulitis. Conclusion: Implant breast reconstruction using AlloDerm$^{(R)}$ sling makes easy to get natural breast shape through satisfactory lower pole fullness, symmetric inframammary fold and implant positioning.