In the Age of Breast Augmentation, Breast Reconstruction Provides an Opportunity to Augment the Breast

Amanda L Zimmerman; Bugra Tugertimur; Paul D Smith; Ambuj Kumar; Deniz Dayicioglu

doi:10.1177/1073274817729064

In the Age of Breast Augmentation, Breast Reconstruction Provides an Opportunity to Augment the Breast

Cancer Control. 2017 Oct-Dec;24(4):1073274817729064. doi: 10.1177/1073274817729064.

Authors

Amanda L Zimmerman¹, Bugra Tugertimur², Paul D Smith¹, Ambuj Kumar³, Deniz Dayicioglu¹

Affiliations

¹ 1 Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.
² 2 Division of General Surgery, Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
³ 3 Division of Evidence Based Medicine, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, FL, USA.

Abstract

Background: Augmentation mammoplasty remains the most common cosmetic surgery procedure performed. The objective of this article is to evaluate the impact of augmented volume of the reconstructed breast in patients that undergo nipple-sparing mastectomy and patients previously augmented who undergo mastectomy with tissue expander/implant-based reconstruction.

Methods: Patients undergoing skin-sparing mastectomy, nipple-sparing mastectomy, and mastectomy after previous augmentation followed by tissue expander/implant-based reconstruction between June 2011 and April 2015 by 2 surgeons at the same institution were included. Retrospective chart review of the patients identified using these criteria was performed to record patient characteristics, complications, breast volume, implant volume, and percentage change in volume at the time of reconstruction. Percentage change of breast volume was calculated using the formula (implant breast weight)/(breast weight) for skin-sparing and nipple-sparing mastectomy patients and (final breast implant weight - [breast weight + augmentation breast implant weight])/([breast weight + augmentation breast implant]) for patients undergoing mastectomy following previous augmentation.

Results: A total of 293 patients were included in the study with 63 patients who underwent nipple-sparing mastectomy, 166 patients who underwent skin-sparing mastectomy, and 64 patients who underwent previous augmentation with subsequent mastectomy. Mean percentage change in breast volume was 66% in the nipple-sparing mastectomy group, 15% for the right breast and 18% for the left breast in the skin-sparing mastectomy group, and 81% for the right breast and 72% for the left breast in the mastectomy following previous augmentation group. Complication rate for nipple-sparing mastectomy was 27%, mastectomy following previous augmentation was 20.3%, and skin-sparing mastectomy group was 18.7%.

Conclusion: Patients who undergo nipple-sparing mastectomy or mastectomy following previous augmentation have the ability to achieve greater volume in their reconstructed breast via tissue expander/implant-based reconstruction.

Keywords: augmentation; breast; breast cancer; implant; mastectomy; reconstruction; tissue expander.

MeSH terms

Breast Implantation / methods*
Breast Implants*
Female
Humans
Mammaplasty / methods*
Middle Aged
Tissue Expansion Devices