Improved Satisfaction Among Women Converting From Prosthetic to Autologous Breast Reconstruction, Study Reports

CHICAGO – Women who choose to replace existing breast implants with autologous tissue are reporting significant improvements in their overall satisfaction with the breast reconstruction process and results, according to a new study that will be presented at Plastic Surgery The Meeting, the annual scientific meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), Oct. 10-14, in Chicago.

"Although many women are satisfied with their outcomes after implant-based breast reconstruction, our study demonstrates a significant improvement in satisfaction when the implant was removed and breast was reconstructed with the patient's own tissue," said Joseph Disa, MD, FACS, the senior author of the study and a plastic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.

The study's findings show that patients who had their existing prosthetic implants replaced with autologous tissue, which is tissue transplanted from another area of a patient's body, report increased satisfaction with their breasts, the outcome of the surgery, their sexual well-being, their physical well-being, the care they received from the participating medical staff, including the surgeon, the information providers, the medical team and the office staff.

The study, which evaluated and surveyed 242 patients from a single facility from 1991 through 2013, included patients between the ages of 34 and 64. The amount of time between patients' original reconstructive surgery and the autologous replacement surgery ranged from one month to nearly 10 years.

The study, "Patient-Reported Satisfaction and Health Related-Quality of Life in Patients Converting from Prosthetic to Autologous Breast Reconstruction," is being presented by co-author Amie Scott, MPH, on Sunday, Oct. 12, at 1:25 p.m. at McCormick Place West in Chicago.

Reporters can register to attend Plastic Surgery The Meeting, or arrange interviews with presenters, by contacting ASPS Public Relations at (847) 228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org or in Chicago, Oct. 10-14.