Background. Data allowing to estimate the impact of postoperative radiotherapy on the possibility of prosthetic breast reconstruction with silicone implants or tissue expanders are mainly presented in single-level retrospective cohort studies.
Material and methods. We searched for scientific papers in English published from January 1, 2000 to September 30, 2018 in the PubMed/MEDLINE database. The study parameters included demographic data, the method of breast reconstruction, information about adjuvant radiotherapy parameters, the incidence of postoperative complications.
Results and discussion. Having studied the data about immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction with silicone implant or a tissue expander performed after mastectomy in 3,654 breast cancer patients. The complications after surgery were reported in 40% of all clinical observations. In 15% of cases, the specialists stopped the attempts to perform breast reconstruction. In general, the aesthetic results of immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction performed before postop radiotherapy are far from being perfect. Nevetheless, most patients are satisfied with them after the surgery.
Conclusion. Adjuvant radiotherapy has a negative impact on the results of immediate prosthetic breast reconstruction after mastectomy. Despite this, the need for radiotherapy should not be regarded as an absolute contraindication for the immediate breast reconstruction with silicone implants and tissue expanders.
Assessing Complication Profile of Perioperative Versus Prophylactic Postoperative Antibiotics for Prepectoral Tissue Expanders in Immediate Breast Reconstruction: A Pilot Study
