IMPACT OF BREAST RECONSTRUCTION ON QOL (QUALITY OF LIFE) IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS FOLLOWING NIPPLE-SPARING MASTECTOMY (NSM) watanabe_hidetaka@kurume-u.ac.jp

PW04-08

IMPACT OF BREAST RECONSTRUCTION ON QOL (QUALITY OF LIFE) IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS FOLLOWING NIPPLE-SPARING MASTECTOMY (NSM)

8

 

 

 

 

Japan

Oral or Poster

We conducted a cohort study to assess the postoperative satisfaction and quality of life (QOL) for the patients with breast cancer who underwent NSM with or without breast reconstruction using the BREAST-Q questionnaire.

This retrospective cohort study included 74 patients who underwent NSM between December 2016 and December 2022. Of these, 43 underwent immediate reconstruction with either a tissue expander or silicone implant (BR group), while 31 declined further reconstructive procedures (NBR group). Patient-reported outcomes were assessed using the BREAST-Q questionnaire, focusing on postoperative satisfaction and QOL. Subgroup analysis was performed based on preoperative breast volume.

There was no statistically significant difference in overall postoperative satisfaction or QOL between the BR and NBR groups. However, within the NBR group, patients with smaller preoperative breast volumes reported higher BREAST-Q scores in domains such as psychosocial well-being and satisfaction with breast appearance, compared to those with intermediate volumes.

NSM without reconstruction may achieve comparable patient satisfaction and QOL outcomes to NSM with reconstruction. Furthermore, among patients forgoing reconstruction, those with smaller preoperative breast volumes may experience enhanced psychosocial and aesthetic satisfaction. These findings support the importance of individualized surgical decision-making based on preoperative breast characteristics and patient preferences.