ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of endoscopic radical mastectomy for breast cancer combined with total pectoral muscle reconstruction with breast implants. Methods The clinical data of 138 female patients with breast cancer who met the selection criteria between April 2019 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age of the patients was 43.8 years (range, 27-61 years). The maximum diameter of the tumors ranged from 1.00 to 7.10 cm, with an average of 2.70 cm. Pathological examination showed that 108 cases were positive for both estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor, and 40 cases were positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2. All patients underwent endoscopic radical mastectomy for breast cancer combined with total pectoral muscle reconstruction with breast implants. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, prosthesis size, and occurences of nipple-areola complex (NAC) ischemia, flap ischemia, infection, and capsular contracture were recorded. The Breast-Q2.0 score was used to evaluate breast aesthetics, patient satisfaction, and quality of life (including the social mental health score, breast satisfaction score, and chest pain score). Patients were divided into two groups based on the time of operation after the technique was implemented: group A (within 1 year, 25 cases) and group B (after 1 year, 113 cases). The above outcome indicators were compared between the two groups. Furthermore, based on the postoperative follow-up duration, patients were classified into a short-term group (follow-up time was less than 1 year) and a long-term group (follow-up time was more than 1 year). The baseline data and postoperative Breast-Q2.0 scores were compared between the two groups. ResultsThe average operation time was 120.76 minutes, the average intraoperative blood loss was 23.77 mL, and the average prosthesis size was 218.37 mL. Postoperative NAC ischemia occurred in 21 cases (15.22%), flap ischemia in 30 cases (21.74%), infection in 23 cases (16.67%), capsular contracture in 33 cases (23.91%), and prosthesis removal in 2 cases (1.45%). The operation time of group A was significantly longer than that of group B (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss, prosthesis size, and related complications between the two groups (P>0.05). All patients were followed up 3-48 months (mean, 20 months). There were 33 cases in the short-term group and 105 cases in the long-term group. There was no significant difference in baseline data such as age, body mass index, number of menopause cases, number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cases, number of axillary lymph node dissection cases, breast cup size, degree of breast ptosis, and postoperative radiotherapy constituent ratio between the two groups (P>0.05). At last follow-up, the breast satisfaction score in the patients’ Breast-Q2.0 score ranged from 33 to 100, with an average of 60.9; the social mental health score ranged from 38 to 100, with an average of 71.3; the chest pain score ranged from 20 to 80, with an average of 47.3. The social mental health score of the long-term group was significantly higher than that of the short-term group (P<0.05); there was no significant difference in breast satisfaction scores and chest pain scores between the two groups (P>0.05). No patient died during the follow-up, and 2 patients relapsed at 649 days and 689 days postoperatively, respectively. The recurrence-free survival rate was 98.62%. Conclusion Endoscopic radical mastectomy for breast cancer combined with total pectoral muscle reconstruction with breast implants has fewer complications and less damage, and the aesthetic effect of reconstructed breast is better.
Objective To investigate the clinical application of da Vinci surgical system in nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) and immediate one-stage implant-based breast reconstruction. Methods Five cases of breast cancer who underwent NSM and immediate implant-based breast reconstruction were analyzed from March 2022 to April 2022. Evaluation endpoints included the key points of operation, duration of surgery, postoperative complications, and patient-reported outcomes. Results Two patients underwent implant-based postpectoral breast reconstruction without mesh. Three patients received prepectoral reconstruction with biological mesh, 2 of which underwent bilateral breast reconstruction. Operating duration of 5 patients was 240–320 min, with an average of 291 min. The blood loss was 10–30 mL, with an average of 18 mL. No patient switched to open surgery due to the uncontrolled bleeding. The average drainage volume was 78 mL/d (60–100 mL/d) in the first 3 days and 38 mL/d (30–50 mL/d) in the 3 to 7 days after operation. The drainage tube was removed 10–18 days after operation, with an average of 13.2 days. No postoperative infections or nipple-areolar complex necrosis were observed. The inpatient stay was 1–3 days, with an average of 1.8 days. One month after operation, the BREAST-Q satisfaction score was 64–82, with an average of 76.20. The average cost for operation was 45 072 RMB (43 420–47 524 RMB). Conclusions The robotic NSM and immediate one-stage implant-based breast reconstruction is a safe procedure with better clinical outcomes and favorable patients’ satisfaction. However, the robotic system has longer operation time and higher cost. It still needs to be personalized in the clinical practice.