Skin Sparing Mastectomy and Immediate Breast Reconstruction (SSMIR) for early breast cancer: Eight years single institution experience

BACKGROUND Skin Sparing Mastectomy (SSM) and immediate breast reconstruction has become increasingly popular as an effective treatment for patients with breast carcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of skin sparing mastectomy in early breast cancer at a single population-based institution. METHODS Records of ninety-five consecutive patients with operable breast cancer who had skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstructions between 1995 and 2003 were reviewed. Patient and tumor characteristic, type of reconstruction, postoperative complications, aesthetic results and incidence of recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS Mean age of the patients was 51.6(range 33-72) years. The AJCC pathologic stages were 0 (n = 51, 53.7%), I (n = 20, 21.1%), and II (n = 2, 2.1%). Twenty of the patients had recurrent disease (21.1%). The immediate breast reconstructions were performed with autologus tissue including latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap in 63 (66.3%) patients and transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap in 4 (4.2%) patients. Implants were used in 28 (29.4%) patients. The average hospital stay was 7.7 days. Flap complication occurred in seven (10.4%) patients resulting in four (6%) re-operations and there were no delay in accomplishing postoperative adjuvant therapy. At a median follow-up of 69 months (range 48 to 144), local recurrence was seen in one patient (1.1%) and systemic recurrence was seen in two patients (2.1%). CONCLUSION Skin sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction for early breast cancer is associated with low morbidity and low rate of local recurrence.