Lipofiling Adds Diagnostic Difficulties in Imaging Evaluation After Radiotherapy? Case-Control Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Immediate autologous fat grafting has yet to be assessed as an alternative for breast reconstruction following conserving surgery. The present study sought to compare mammographically, patients undergoing conserving surgery with patients undergoing autologous adipose tissue immediately to conserving surgery, after completion of radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a case-control study. The convenience sampling occurred between June 2010 and Dec 2011, where 28 patients coming from the outpatient Breast Care Unit with the indication of breast conserving surgery underwent breast reconstruction with fat grafting. Controls were consecutive cases, 60 patients, of conservative surgery that occurred in the same period. After the surgical procedure, all were subjected to radiotherapy. All patients underwent clinical and radiological evaluation at 6 months. RESULTS: The results of early evaluation in six months, showed no difference between the mammographic findings in patients undergoing conservative surgery and conventional surgical repair with fat grafting. CONCLUSION: Immediate autologous fat grafting is a promising technique for reconstruction after breast-conserving surgery. The evaluation performed by an observer who did not contain the information of the fat grafting technique has been shown that increased degree of harder it not for the diagnosis of changes in mammographic post surgery patients submitted to this technique. KEYWORDS: Autologous fat grafting; breast-conserving surgery; breast reconstruction; lipofilling; breast cancer.