• Colleen M McCarthy, Babak J Mehrara, Tua Long, Paula Garcia, Nina Kropf, Anne F Klassen, Stefan J Cano, Yuelin Li, Karen Hurley, Amie Scott, Joseph J Disa, Peter G Cordeiro, and Andrea L Pusic.
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
• Ann. Surg. Oncol. 2014 Jan 1;21(1):107-12.

ObjectiveThe performance of a mastectomy for the treatment or prophylaxis of breast cancer may have long-term implications for both physical and mental well-being in women. The development of breast numbness and phantom breast sensations following mastectomy is well-known; however, relatively little is known about physical morbidity following postmastectomy breast reconstruction. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the level of physical morbidity experienced following three surgical approaches: mastectomy alone, postmastectomy tissue expander/implant reconstruction, and postmastectomy autogenous tissue reconstruction.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey of a sample of women who had undergone mastectomy with or without reconstruction. Chest and upper body morbidity were evaluated using the BREAST-Q. Physical well-being was compared across three types of breast surgery.ResultsIn total, 308 of 452 women who received a questionnaire booklet returned completed questionnaires. There was an overall difference in physical morbidity attributable to surgical treatment (P < 0.001). Patients who underwent autogenous tissue reconstruction had the highest (i.e., best) mean physical well-being score. Women who underwent expander/implant reconstruction also had less chronic physical morbidity than women who underwent mastectomy alone (P < 0.05).ConclusionsOur findings suggest that women who undergo immediate autogenous tissue reconstruction experience significantly less chest and upper body morbidity than those who undergo either mastectomy with implant-based reconstruction or mastectomy alone. This information can be used to facilitate clinical decision-making, to validate individual experiences of breast cancer survivors, and to inform future innovations to decrease the long-term physical morbidity associated with breast cancer surgery.

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