Patient Quality of Life After Subpectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction With Synthetic or Biological Materials.

Aim: Quality of life and patient satisfaction after subpectoral breast reconstruction with meshes or acellular dermal matrices (ADM) and implants were assessed using the BreastQ questionnaire to investigate a potential influence of the materials on these parameters.
Patients and Methods: The BreastQ questionnaire was completed by 121 patients, who had received material-assisted, heterologous, subpectoral breast reconstruction between 2010 and 2018.
Results: Answers were similar independent of the reconstruction materials used. After prophylactic mastectomy, the physical wellbeing (chest) improved significantly with all materials (p=0.04). Postoperative radiotherapy significantly reduced satisfaction with outcome (p=0.005). Patients under 50 years old had significantly better postoperative sexual wellbeing than older patients (p=0.03).
Conclusion: No influence was detected of the materials on the postoperative quality of life and patient satisfaction. An overall better quality of life was reported by younger and normal-weight patients with prophylactic or nipple-sparing mastectomy without radiotherapy.
(Copyright © 2021 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)