Robot-assisted breast reconstruction using the prepectoral anterior tenting method

Abstract

Prosthetic breast reconstruction in the prepectoral plane with acellular dermal matrix (ADM) support has been gaining popularity and the use of robotic assistance could enhance this procedure. This study introduces robot-assisted prosthetic breast reconstruction using the anterior tenting method. Sixteen patients (16 breasts) undergoing surgery from July 2019 to April 2020 were included in this study. The breast oncology team performed mastectomies with direct-to-implant (DTI) reconstruction using the da Vinci XiTM (Intuitive Surgical Corp., Sunnyvale, CA, USA) system. The prepectoral plane anterior tenting method using ADM was performed. Of the 16 patients, 14 underwent a nipple-sparing mastectomy and two underwent a skin-sparing mastectomy. The average patient age was 44.9 years, body mass index (BMI) was 22.9 kg/m2, and mastectomy weight was 367.6 g. The breast oncology team had an average operating time of 194.7 minutes, and the plastic surgery team had an average operating time of 80.8 minutes. The average postoperative drainage was 943.6 mL, and minor complications occurred in two patients. With the robot, only a small incision of approximately 4.5 cm is necessary and areas that are not readily visible, such as the side of the axilla, can be accessed during the surgery. Using a smaller ADM size, the implant pocket under the ADM can be easily created under a magnified view. Inframammary fold (IMF) restoration is also possible with robotic surgery and delayed bleeding from the pocket can be easily controlled.