Objective To summarize the research progress of combined surgical treatment of lymphedema based on vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT), and to provide systematic information for combined surgical treatment of lymphedema. MethodsLiterature on VLNT in recent years was extensively reviewed, and the history, treatment mechanism, and clinical application of VLNT were summarized, with emphasis on the research progress of VLNT combined with other surgical methods. Results VLNT is a physiological operation to restore lymphatic drainage. Multiple lymph node donor sites have been developed clinically, and two hypotheses have been proposed to explain its mechanism for the treatment of lymphedema. But it has some inadequacies such as slow effect and limb volume reduction rate less than 60%. To address these inadequacies, VLNT combined with other surgical methods for lymphedema has become a trend. VLNT can be used in combination with lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), liposuction, debulking operation, breast reconstruction, and tissue engineered material, which have been shown to reduce the volume of affected limbs, reduce the incidence of cellulitis, and improve patients’ quality of life. ConclusionCurrent evidence shows that VLNT is safe and feasible in combination with LVA, liposuction, debulking operation, breast reconstruction, and tissue engineered material. However, many issues need to be solved, including the sequence of two surgeries, the interval between two surgeries, and the effectiveness compared with surgery alone. Rigorous standardized clinical studies need to be designed to confirm the efficacy of VLNT alone or in combination, and to further discuss the subsistent issues in the use of combination therapy.
Objective To explore the value of the application of latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap in the breast reconstruction. Methods The clinical data of the 36 patients with breast tumor who had undergone breast reconstruction with latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap from January 2012 to December 2016 were collected retrospectively. The postoperative complications and cosmetic results were analyzed. Results Thirty-six patients with breast tumor who underwent breast reconstruction with latissmus dorsi myocutaneous flap, including 32 patients with immediate breast reconstruction and 4 patients with delayed breast reconstruction respectively. The operative time of the patients who undertwent immediate breast reconstruction was 235–490 min (mean of 325 min), the intraoperative blood loss was 200–260 mL (mean of 220 mL), and the hospitalization time was 18–33 d (mean of 23.6 d). The total operative time of patients who underwent delayed breast reconstruction was 325–550 min (mean of 355 min), the total intraoperative blood loss was 200–250 mL (mean of 220 mL), and the total hospitalization time was 27–45 d (mean of 32.5 d). The cosmetic results was excellent in 22 patients, good in 8 patients, fair in 6 patients, respectively, and fine rate was 83.3% (30/36). There was no flap loss, but donor site seroma occurred in 21 patients, partial necrosis of the surgical margin of back skin occurred in 1 patient, partial necrosis of the nipple and areola skin occurred in 2 patients. All the patients were followed-up for 3–60 months, and the mean follow-up time was 37 months. During the follow-up period, no patient occurred metastasis or recurrence. After undergoing radiotherapy, reconstructive breast volume of 2 patients significantly contracted. None of the patients had significant limb function. Conclusion The breast reconstruction with the latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap is a simple, easy, and effective surgical procedure.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of indocyanine green (ICG)-based fluorescent angiography in autologous tissue breast reconstruction.MethodsBetween June 2016 and June 2017, 14 female patients were treated with the autologous tissue breast reconstruction. The age ranged from 27 to 64 years with the median age of 46.5 years. There were 11 patients of one-stage reconstruction, including 9 with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast, 1 with recurrence tumor on chest wall, and 1 with angiosatcoma in the breast. The disease duration ranged from 9 days to 48 months (mean, 6.8 months). There were 3 patients of second-stage breast reconstruction, who underwent mastectomy 3-4 years ago. During operation, the first ICG-based fluorescent angiography was done before cutting off the flap pedicle. According to the results, 13 patients were adjusted the strategy of operation or cut part of flap, only 1 patient kept the original design. Then, the infusion of flaps were confirmed by the second ICG-based fluorescent angiography after transplanted to the recipient site. The area of flap ranged from 24 cm×11 cm to 36 cm×15 cm. All incisions of recipient site were closed by primary suture.ResultsThe fat liquefaction of incision occurred in 1 patient with type 2 diabetes, and the incision healed after debridement operation. The other flaps survived with no flap perfusion related complication. Both donor sites and recipient sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 1-14 months (mean, 4 months) with satisfied result of reconstruction. There was no tumor recurrence.ConclusionICG-based fluorescent angiography can reveal the perfusion of the flap in operation instantly and accurately. It should be very helpful to adjusting the strategy in reconstructive operation, especially in the large tissue demanded kinds such as breast reconstruction.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility, oncological safety, and aesthetic result of skin-spring mastectomy (SSM) or nipple-spring mastectomy (NSM) in breast reconstruction of implant (permanent gel or expander) for breast cancer patients who were not fit for the breast conserving surgery (BCS). Methods Between October 2005 and July 2011, 89 women with breast caner underwent SSM or NSM, with an average age of 42.4 years (range, 19-55 years) and an average disease duration of 5.7 months (range, 1-24 months). The pathological examination revealed invasive ductal carcinoma in 55 cases, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 15 cases, invasive ductal carcinoma + DCIS in 8 cases, DCIS with infiltration in 10 cases, and occult breast cancer in 1 case. According to tumor staging criterion of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC), 15 cases were rated as stage 0, 51 cases as stage I, 22 cases as stage II, and 1 case as unclear. Finally, 33 patients underwent SSM and 56 patients underwent NSM according to the location and diameter of tumor and the infiltration of tumor to nipple. Secondary breast reconstruction was performed with permanent gel replacement after axillary lymph node dissection in 9 patients with positive sentinel lymph node and 1 patient with occult breast cancer; immediate breast reconstruction was performed with permanent gel in the other patients. All the patients received the chemotherapy or/and radiotherapy according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline. Results Complications occurred in 5 patients undergoing breast reconstruction of permanent gel after NSM, including 1 case of haemorrhage, 2 cases of infection, and 2 cases of local skin necrosis. Primary healing of incision was obtained in the others. No nipple necrosis was observed in patients undergoing NSM. All the patients were followed up 14-88 months (median, 40 months). At 10 months after operation, the aesthetic results were excellent in 40 cases, good in 33 cases, fair in 14 cases, and poor in 2 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 82%. No recurrence or metastasis was found during follow-up. Conclusion The SSM or NSM is feasible and oncological safe for patients who are not fit for BCS, with satisfactory aesthetic result.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility of immediate breast reconstruction with silicone prosthesis for breast tumor. Methods The clinical data of the 42 patients with breast tumor who had undergone breast reconstruction with silicone prosthesis from January 2012 to June 2017 were collected retrospectively. The postoperative complications and cosmetic results were analyzed. Results All patients underwent operation successfully. The surgical time was 230–435 min (mean of 325 min), the intraoperative blood loss was 100–160 mL (mean of 130 mL), and the hospitalization time was 18–33 d (mean of 24 d). The cosmetic results was excellent in 26 patients, good in 8 patients, bad in 8 patients, and fine rate was 81.0% (34/42). Rate of patients’ overall satisfaction with breast reconstruction was 73.8% (31/42) and rate of aesthetic satisfaction was 78.6% (33/42). After operation, seroma occurred in 2 patients, and the ischemic necrosis in nipple and areola occurred in 3 patients. All the patients were followed-up for 4–70 months, and the median follow-up time was 37 months. During the follow-up period, no patient had metastasis or recurrence. Six patients received radiotherapy, among them 2 patients appeared Ⅱ-grade capsular contracture. Conclusion The breast reconstruction with silicone prosthesis is a simple, easy, and effective surgical procedure.
Endoscopic technique is one of the important development directions of modern surgical techniques. Compared with the laparoscopic and thoracoscopic surgery, the development of endoscopic technology in breast surgery is generally slow due to the limitation of the physiological structure of this organ. The characteristics of endoscopic technology such as micro-incision trauma and remote operation are especially suitable for breast (cancer) surgery, which desires flawless skin surface and perfect remodeling. In the meantime, however, the obstacles of breast (cancer) endoscopic surgery include the establishment and maintenance of a satisfactory surgical field, the endoscopic exposure of large and heavy glands, the obstruction by the slope of the skeletal thorax, the remote operation that is difficult to accomplish with conventional endoscopic instruments, and the complete removal of large and tough glands and so on. By studying and pondering the experience of the pioneers of endoscopy, the endoscopic team of West China Hospital took five years to develop this novel one axillary-incision, single-port and liposuction-free endoscopic surgical approach which is low costing and only requires one-port operation platform. The original “inverse sequence method”, “Huaxi hole no. 1, 2, 3” and other endoscopy-assisted approach overcome the aforesaid obstacles. It has significantly reduced the technical threshold and operational difficulty of breast (cancer) endoscopic surgery and contributed our own wisdom to the vigorous development of breast endoscopic technology in China. The author shared her observations and thoughts on the technical details of breast endoscopic surgery based on her nearly 20 years of experience in endoscopic operation.
ObjectiveTo compare the satisfaction and safety of patients undergoing prepectoral breast reconstruction (PBR) versus subpectoral dual-plane breast reconstruction (SBR) with implants combined with mesh after open total mastectomy for breast cancer. MethodsA prospective cohort study on clinical data of breast cancer patients who underwent open total mastectomy and received either PBR or SBR with implants and mesh for immediate breast reconstruction from June 2021 to October 2022 at West China Hospital of Sichuan University were performed. The pain scores on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 14, the postoperative use of analgesics within 14 days, and the incidence of postoperative complications, breast satisfaction, and quality of life during follow-up periods were compared between the two groups. ResultsA total of 62 female patients were included, with 35 in the PBR group, having an average age of (39.6±6.5) years, and 27 in the SBR group, having an average age of (41.5±9.9) years. The pain scores of the SBR group on postoperative days 3 (P=0.032), 7 (P＜0.001), and 14 (P＜0.001) were significantly higher than those of the PBR group, and a higher proportion of patients in the SBR group used analgesics within postopeartive 14 days (P=0.001). The median follow-up time was 28.4 months for the PBR group and 34.9 months for the SBR group. There was no statistical difference in the overall (P=0.583), major (P=0.526), or minor (P=0.532) complication rates between the two groups during follow-up. One (2.9%) patient in the PBR group and 2 (7.4%) patients in the SBR group lost their implants (P=0.575). There were 4 patients of movement deformities and 4 patients of chest muscle pain in the SBR group, whereas no patients in the PBR group had these complications (P=0.031). Encapsular contracture occurred in 5 (14.3%) patients in the PBR group and 11 (40.7%) patients in the SBR group (P=0.023). The incidences of ripple sign (25.7% vs. 3.7%, P=0.047) and implant contour visibility (40.0% vs. 11.1%, P=0.020) were significantly higher in the PBR group than those in the SBR group. At 24 months post-surgery, breast satisfaction scores [(67.9±13.1) points vs. (52.6±16.9) points, P=0.025] and chest function satisfaction [(70.7±13.4) points vs. (58.7±14.3) points, P=0.035] were higher in the PBR group. No local recurrence, distant metastasis, or deaths occurred in the PBR group during the follow-up period, while 1 patient of local recurrence and distant metastasis occurred in the SBR group, with no deaths. ConclusionCompared to SBR, PBR is more in line with the physiological and anatomical levels of the breast, effectively avoiding postoperative movement deformities and chest muscle pain, with a lower incidence of capsular contracture, and higher postoperative breast satisfaction and chest function satisfaction. It is a safe and feasible reconstruction method. For some specific patients, especially those with higher physical activity demands, it is a better reconstruction choice.
Objective To introduce an surgical technique of endoscopic nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) combined with immediate breast reconstruction through simple single-port access that placed in axillary incision. Methods Between January 2017 and February 2018, 15 female patients with breast cancer (stageⅠ in 5 cases and stage Ⅱ in 10 cases) were treated with endoscopic NSM combined with immediate breast reconstruction through simple single-port access that placed in axillary incision. They were 27-45 years old (mean, 37.5 years). The disease duration ranged from 1 to 24 months (mean, 8 months). The tumor located at the left breast in 8 cases and at the right breast in 7 cases. The diameter of tumor ranged from 1.5 to 3.0 cm (mean, 2.6 cm). The distance between tumor and nipple was 1.8-4.0 cm (mean, 2.3 cm). Results After operation, the nipple epidermal necrosis occurred in 1 case, and subcutaneous effusion in 1 case. No subcutaneous emphysema or skin flap necrosis occurred. Postoperative pathological examination showed that 1 case was nipple involvement and was treated with nipple resection. All patients were followed up 7-17 months (mean, 11 months). According to the Harris assessment criteria for appearance of reconstructed breast, there were 4 cases of excellent, 10 cases of good, and 1 case of poor. No tumor recurrence or metastasis occurred during follow-up. Conclusion It is a safe and feasible method of endoscopic NSM combined with immediate breast reconstruction through simple single-port access that placed in axillary incision, and can obtain good cosmetic results. It is a new option to breast reconstruction.
Objective To discuss the effectiveness of breast reconstruction with dual plane prosthesis implantation or anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation under endoscopy by using prospective comparative study, in order to provide a reference for clinical surgical selection. Methods A total of 54 female patients with breast cancer admitted between January 2023 and December 2023 and met the selection criteria were selected as research subjects. According to the random number table, 54 patients were divided into trial group and control group with 27 cases in each. The patients in the trial group and control group were treated with dual plane prosthesis implantation and anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation for breast reconstruction after glandular resection under endoscopy, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05) in the terms of age, body mass index, affected side, breast clinical stages, molecular typing, disease duration, breast volume of healthy side, breast ptosis of affected side, and preoperative Breast-Q score (social mental health, sexual health, breast satisfaction, chest somatic health). The operation-related indicators (operation time, total volume of drainage within 7 days after operation, extubation time, and hospital stay), occurrence of complications, breast reconstruction efficacy related indicators (transverse and longitudinal distance difference), and the pre- and post-operative differences (change values) of Breast-Q scores for each item were compared between the two groups. Results There was no significant difference in operation time, total volume of drainage within 7 days after operation, extubation time, and hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients of the two groups were followed up 3-12 months (mean, 6.3 months). Three patients (11.11%) in trial group and 5 patients (18.52%) in control group experienced complications, and there was no significant difference in the occurrence of complications (P>0.05). At 7 days after operation, the transverse and longitudinal distance differences were significantly less in trial group than in control group (P<0.05). The Breast-Q scores of the two groups at 7 days after operation were significantly higher in all items than those before operation (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in all change values between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionFor patients with breast cancer, comparison of breast reconstruction with anterior pectoralis prosthesis implantation, breast reconstruction with dual plane prosthesis implantation has better breast reconstruction effectiveness and higher safety.