Breast Reconstruction Surgery

A new study shows that the majority of women who have a mastectomy for breast cancer go on to get full breast reconstruction.

This is a practice that has dramatically increased over time.  Researches have recently found that 45 percent of patients received reconstruction in 1998, but it has risen to 62 percent by the year 2007.

“Breast reconstruction has a big impact on survivors’ quality of life,” say Dr. Reshma Jagsi, M.D. “As more and more people are surviving breast cancer, we need to focus on what that long-term survivorship means for those women. They need to have access to this important pat of their treatment.”

The researchers looked at insurance claims data from a nationwide employment-based database of medical claims. They found that a total of 20,506 women who had been treated for breast cancer with a mastectomy between 1998 and 2007.

While overall rates of reconstruction surgery increased, women who received radiation therapy were much less likely to get reconstructive surgery.

This is concerning, because radiation therapy is increasingly being used after mastectomy as a way to continue to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

“A growing number of women are eligible for radiation after mastectomy,” says Jagsi. “We have to be aware that this may change patients’ reconstruction options. Patients and physicians have concerns about how best to integrate radiation and reconstruction, and that may be influencing patient decisions.”

In carefully selected patients, radiation saves lives. It is also very well tolerated. However, it is known to cause damage to normal tissue, which may reduce the ability to receive reconstructive surgery.

The research done also revealed a dramatic variation in reconstruction, simply based on geographic region. With numbers ranging from 18% in North Dakota to 80% in Washington DC, studies found this was largely due to the number of plastic surgeons currently practicing in the state.

When there are variations in practice patterns based on geography, there is a concern that care is not being appropriately individualized to each patient.

Researchers have also found that there are more women choosing to have implants rather than recreating breast tissue by using tissue from other parts of their body. While this type of procedure tends to deliver better results, it’s much more time consuming and demanding, and requires a longer hospital stay. Understandably, many women who have undergone such rigorous cancer treatments don’t want to extend their hospital stays longer than necessary.

Breast reconstruction surgery has been shown to improve the self-image and mental well being of thousands of women who have had the unfortunate trial of cancer. Because of the ever-increasing numbers of women having this procedure done, it is widely believed that doctors are offering this as an option to help these women feel like themselves again.

As with any medical procedure, this is one that should be discussed with a Board-Certified plastic surgeon before surgery is scheduled. Talk to your doctor today if you wish to have this procedure done.