Comparison of postoperative wound complications and early cancer recurrence between patients undergoing mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction.
1993American journal of surgery
O'Brien W, Hasselgren PO, Hummel RP, Coith R, Hyams D +2 more
Plain English
This study looked at 402 patients who either had a mastectomy alone or mastectomy followed by immediate breast reconstruction. The findings showed that the hospital stay was shorter for those who had reconstruction (3.8 days) compared to those who did not (4.4 days). There were similar overall rates of complications (31% for reconstruction, 28% for mastectomy alone), but local cancer recurrence was lower in the reconstruction group—only 1% compared to 6% in the other group—highlighting that immediate reconstruction may be a safe option for many patients.
Who this helps: This research benefits patients considering mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction.