Complications after simultaneous one-stage and two-stage reconstruction with implants in patients with breast cancer during combined/combination treatment

Objective. To compare common complications after simultaneous one-stage and two-stage reconstruction with implants in patients with breast cancer during radiation therapy (RT) as part of combined/combination treatment. Subjects and methods. The investigation analyzed complications after combined/combination treatment in 333 women. The patients underwent simultaneous one-stage two-stage (Group 1) (n=179) and one-stage (Group 2) (n=157) breast reconstruction using a tissue expander/silicone implant. The follow-up period for the patients was 42.12±2.68 and 24.61±1.14 months, respectively. The patients' age was 42.9±8.1 years in Group 1 and 43.89±8.63 years in Group 2. RT was performed in 95 (54%) patients in Group 1 and in 68 (41.97%) patients in Group 2. RT was performed within 343.5±3.25 days in 75 (55.1%) of the 135 patients who had undergone stage 2 reconstruction. Results and discussion. After Stage 1 of simultaneous two-stage reconstruction, late postoperative complications occurred during RT in 9% (15/176) patients in Group 1. After Stage 2 of simultaneous one-stage reconstruction, postoperative complications occurred in 17.7% (24/135) of the women in Group 1 and in 31.2% (49/157) in Group 2. Clinically significant Baker grade 3-4 capsular contracture developed in 21 (15.5%) patients in Group 1 after two stages of reconstruction; the frequency of this complication was 14.6% (23/157) in Group 2. Conclusion. The number of common complications was comparable in Groups 1 and 2; in this case, no significant differences in the groups were found (p≥0.05). There were no statistically significant difference in all the complications between the groups (p=0.5583). Any option of simultaneous breast reconstruction can be performed during combined/combination treatment involving RT.