Version 1
: Received: 23 April 2024 / Approved: 24 April 2024 / Online: 24 April 2024 (11:48:01 CEST)
How to cite:
Tadimi Tazi, S. Comparison of Breast Sensibility Following Breast Reconstruction With Two Different Techniques: DIEP Flap and Expander/Implant. Preprints2024, 2024041602. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1602.v1
Tadimi Tazi, S. Comparison of Breast Sensibility Following Breast Reconstruction With Two Different Techniques: DIEP Flap and Expander/Implant. Preprints 2024, 2024041602. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1602.v1
Tadimi Tazi, S. Comparison of Breast Sensibility Following Breast Reconstruction With Two Different Techniques: DIEP Flap and Expander/Implant. Preprints2024, 2024041602. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1602.v1
APA Style
Tadimi Tazi, S. (2024). Comparison of Breast Sensibility Following Breast Reconstruction With Two Different Techniques: DIEP Flap and Expander/Implant. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1602.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Tadimi Tazi, S. 2024 "Comparison of Breast Sensibility Following Breast Reconstruction With Two Different Techniques: DIEP Flap and Expander/Implant" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202404.1602.v1
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Breast sensibility following reconstruction surgery, though often overlooked, holds significant importance due to its widespread occurrence and profound effects on patients’ well-being and safety. Our objective is to compare the sensory outcomes between DIEP flap microsurgery reconstruction and implant-based reconstruction. Additionally, we explored the potential influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on sensory recovery, along with assessing temperature discrimination abilities and evaluating quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted an ambispective descriptive-analytical study, involving women who underwent mastectomy with reconstruction using either DIEP flap and implants at our hospital between 1990 and 2021. Data were collected from medical records, patient histories, physical examination, and validated quality of life questionnaires (BREAST-Q). RESULTS: A total of 99 women with breast reconstruction were included, 47 with DIEP flap and 52 with implants. Sensory recovery in implant-based reconstruction was found to be superior to DIEP flap reconstruction (5.03 and 5.18 respectively, p-value <0.005). A direct correlation was observed between sensory improvement and thermal discrimination (Spearman coefficient 0.9, p-value <0.001). Factors such as radiotherapy, delayed reconstruction with DIEP flap, and height with implants were associated with poorer sensory recovery in the breast. Women experiencing better breast sensibility reported higher satisfaction with their surgeon, medical team, and psychosocial quality of life. CONCLUSION: Women reconstructed with implants or DIEP abdominal flap exhibit suboptimal overall sensory recovery of the reconstructed breast, with slightly better outcomes observed in women reconstructed with implants.
Keywords
Breast sensibility; Breast reconstruction; DIEP abdominal flap; Implant; Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments; Thermal discrimination; Quality of life, BREAST-Q.
Subject
Medicine and Pharmacology, Surgery
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
