Benefits of Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging During Breast Tissue Expansion: Literature Review and Case Series.

Abstract

Breast cancer results in up to 1.6 million new candidates for yearly breast reconstruction (BR) surgery. Two-stage breast reconstruction surgery with the use of a tissue expander (TE) is a common approach to reconstruct the breast after mastectomy. However, a common disadvantage encountered with traditional breast TE is the magnetic injection port, which has been reported to cause injuries in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging. Thus, this type of breast TE is labeled "MR Unsafe". Recent technological advances have incorporated radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology into the TE to allow for the location of the injection port without using magnetic components, thus resulting in an MR Conditional TE. This paper aims to review the information regarding the safety profile of tissue expanders (TEs) with magnetic ports and to gather distinct clinical scenarios in which an MR Conditional TE benefits the patient during the BR process. A literature review ranging from 2018 to 2022 was performed with the search terms: "tissue expander" OR "breast tissue expander" AND "magnetic resonance imaging" OR "MRI". Additionally, a case series was collected from each the authors' practices. The literature search yielded 13 recent peer-reviewed papers, and 6 distinct clinical scenarios were compiled and discussed. Most clinicians find MRI exams to be the state-of-art diagnostic imaging modality. However, due to the pre-existing risks associated with TE with magnetic ports, the MRI labeling classification should be considered when deciding which TE is the most appropriate for the patient requiring MRI exams.