Patient Satisfaction With Breast Reconstruction
Patients who underwent autologous breast reconstruction were more satisfied with their breasts than those who underwent implant reconstruction, according to the patient-reported outcomes of the Mastectomy Reconstruction Outcomes Consortium Study. In addition, Andrea L. Pusic, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and colleagues found that the women who received autologous reconstruction noted better sexual and psychosocial well-being than those who received implant-based reconstruction 1 year after mastectomy for breast cancer. These results were reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
A total of 1,632 women from 11 sites in the United States and Canada took part in this study, with 1,139 undergoing immediate postmastectomy implant-based reconstruction and 493 undergoing autologous tissue reconstruction. Patient-reported outcomes were based on the completion of two questionnaires before and 1 year after surgery: the condition-specific BREAST-Q patient-reported outcomes measure for breast surgery patients and the generic Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 instrument.
Nearly 75% of the study population responded to the questionnaires at 1 year. Autologous reconstruction was associated with greater breast satisfaction, sexual well-being, and psychosocial well-being. Physical well-being of the chest was not fully restored in either the implant or autologous group. In both groups at 1 year, anxiety and depression scores were improved.
