AB029. SOH24AB_096. Health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes following deep inferior epigastric perforator reconstruction in low body mass index patients
Clinical Breast Session

AB029. SOH24AB_096. Health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes following deep inferior epigastric perforator reconstruction in low body mass index patients

Conor Sheahan, Natasha Christodoulides, Amenah Dhannoon, Silvia Marino, Khairun Izlinda Abdul Jalil, Roisin Dolan, Nadeem Ajmal, James Martin-Smith

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Beaumont, Dublin, Ireland

Background: With increasing demand for autologous reconstruction from low body mass index breast cancer patients, we sought to assess our deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) procedural complication rates, post-procedural revision rates and patient-reported outcomes using the previously validated BREAST-Q reconstruction module.

Methods: This retrospective case series included all patients who underwent a DIEP breast reconstruction with a body mass index (BMI) <24.5 kg/m2 performed by two lead microsurgeons over a 5-year period. Patients were identified from a prospectively maintained database and BREAST-Q reconstruction module was administered. Relevant details to laterality of surgery and complimentary post-DIEP adjustments [lipofilling, symmetrisation, nipple-areola complex (NAC) reconstruction] were noted.

Results: Forty-five patients met the inclusion criteria. The majority of patients underwent unilateral DIEP flap reconstructions (44/45) and one case was bilateral. No partial or total cases of flap loss and no return to theatre. Post-DIEP revision rate to the ipsilateral reconstructed breast was 22.2% (n=10). A symmetrising mastopexy to the contralateral breast was performed in almost one-quarter of the cohort (24.4%). Mean BREAST-Q scores were calculated (0–100). Patient psychosocial well-being (score =74), sexual well-being (score = 55), satisfaction with breasts (score =73.2), physical well-being chest (score =90.13), physical well-being abdomen (score =88.69).

Conclusions: Adequate breast volume can be achieved in 80% of our low BMI cohort without a secondary procedure. Patients report high breast, donor and overall satisfaction rates. Development of a standardised algorithm, offering multiple options for autologous breast reconstruction in patients with a low BMI, is essential in units performing autologous breast reconstruction.

Keywords: Breast cancer; breast reconstruction; deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP); health-related quality of life; patient reported outcomes

Acknowledgments

Funding: None.

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/map-24-ab029
Cite this abstract as: Sheahan C, Christodoulides N, Dhannoon A, Marino S, Jalil KIA, Dolan R, Ajmal N, Martin-Smith J. AB029. SOH24AB_096. Health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction and surgical outcomes following deep inferior epigastric perforator reconstruction in low body mass index patients. Mesentery Peritoneum 2024;8:AB029.

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