The British journal of surgery
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Breast reconstruction is offered to improve quality of life for women after mastectomy for breast cancer, but information regarding the long-term patient-reported outcomes of different reconstruction procedures is currently lacking. The Brighter study aimed to evaluate long-term patient-reported outcomes after immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) in a population-based cohort. ⋯ Long-term patient-reported outcomes are significantly better following abdominal flap reconstruction than other traditional procedure types. These findings should be shared with women considering IBR to help them make informed decisions about their surgical options.
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The process of innovation is always valuable and can lead to great advances, both intended and unanticipated. However, the outcomes must always be carefully examined in terms of metric which considers more than could ever be tested in a RCT.