Preoperative Chest Wall Research Articles

Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy and Preoperative Irradiation on Early Complications in Direct-to-Implant Breast Reconstruction.

Background Impact of previous radiation therapy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) on early complications in direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction has not been elucidated. This study investigated whether DTI reconstruction is viable in patients with NACT or a history of preoperative chest wall irradiation. Methods Medical records of breast cancer patients who underwent nipple-sparing or skin-sparing mastectomy with DTI breast reconstruction from March 2018 to February 2021, with at least 1 year of follow-up in a single tertiary center, were reviewed. Demographic data, intraoperative details, and postoperative complications, including full-thickness necrosis, infection, and removal, were reviewed. Risk factors suggested by previous literature, including NACT and preoperative chest wall irradiation histories, were reviewed by multivariate analysis. Results A total of 206 breast cancer patients were included, of which, 9 were bilateral, 8 patients (3.9%) had a history of prior chest wall irradiation, and 17 (8.6%) received NACT. From 215 cases, 11 cases (5.1%) required surgical intervention for full-thickness necrosis, while intravenous antibiotics or hospitalization was needed in 11 cases (5.1%), with 14 cases of failure (6.5%) reported. Using multivariable analysis, preoperative irradiation was found to significantly increase the risk of full-thickness skin necrosis (OR = 12.14, p = 0.034), and reconstruction failure (OR = 13.14, p = 0.005). NACT was not a significant risk factor in any of the above complications. Conclusion DTI breast reconstruction is a viable option for patients who have received NACT, although reconstructive options should be carefully explored for patients with a history of breast irradiation.

Coronal, Sagittal, and Horizontal Classification of the Chest Shape and Its Role in Selection of Proper Implants.

The number of female breast correction procedures has been steadily increasing. Despite extensive literature being available on these procedures, few authors have discussed the role of preoperative chest wall analysis in relation to postoperative outcomes. To date, no comprehensive classification of chest shape has been introduced in the literature. The aim of this study was to present a novel classification of chest shapes, based on three basic planes: coronal (C), sagittal (S), and horizontal (H), hence the proposed name "CSH classification." In this study, a retrospective analysis of 1000 randomly selected chest and breast images was conducted by three independent nonmedical evaluators, using standardized digital images captured with the Vectra 3D body scanner. All examined patients were qualified for breast augmentation surgery. Among 1000 randomly examined patients, 923 were classified in the coronal plane, 920 in the sagittal plane, and 627 in the horizontal plane. Other patients were excluded from the study due to insufficient quality of the images. A notable 43.2% of women have shoulder height asymmetries. A relationship between shoulder height asymmetry and chest width was confirmed by the chi-square Pearson test (P = 0.04), indicating that a higher shoulder is associated with a greater chest width on the same side. Furthermore, 84.7% of women displayed excessive upper chest projection, whereas 28.4% showed excessive lower chest projection. Additionally, 84.4% of women had chest projection asymmetries. The vast majority of the women had natural asymmetries of the breast or and chest wall. The CSH classification allows systematizing the chest shape assessment. The chest shape has a significant impact on breast implant selection and the choice of the breast surgery technique.

Preoperative Assessment of Chest Wall Invasion in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Surgeon-Performed Ultrasound

Chest wall invasion in operable lung cancer upgrades the stage and can affect operative planning. Diagnosing chest wall invasion preoperatively is important in patient consent, in the choice of operative incision placement, and can be helpful in choosing an operative approach (open vs thoracoscopic). The objectives of this study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative, surgeon-performed ultrasound (US) in assessing tumoral chest wall invasion (T3) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to compare its accuracy vs preoperative computed tomography (CT). This study was a prospective clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01206894) that prospectively enrolled patients between September 2010 and January 2013. Eligible patients included those with NSCLC abutting the parietal pleura or invading the chest wall on preoperative CT scan of the chest and who were planned for surgical resection. Criteria for chest wall invasion on US included (1) disruption of the parietal pleura, (2) invasion of the ribs, or (3) impairment of pleural movement with respiration. The US chest wall examination was performed by the thoracic surgical team immediately before the surgical intervention. Sensitivity and specificity for CT scan and US in assessing chest wall invasion were calculated using definitive chest wall invasion on final pathologic analysis as the gold standard for chest wall invasion. During a 28-month period, 28 patients (15 men and 13 women) patients were prospectively enrolled. Mean age was 62 ± 11 years, and mean body mass index was 25.3 ± 4.5 kg/m(2). The average time for surgeon-performed US assessment looking for chest wall invasion was 5.3 ± 5 minutes. The sensitivity of US in evaluating chest wall invasion was 90.9% and the specificity was 85.7%. CT scan was associated with a sensitivity of 61.5% and a specificity of 84.6%. The positive and negative predictive values of surgeon-performed US for tumoral chest wall invasion were 83.3% and 92.3%, respectively, compared with 80% and 68.8% for CT scan. Surgeon-performed preoperative chest wall US can reliably diagnose tumoral chest wall invasion in patients with NSCLC. CT scan has poor sensitivity in predicting chest wall invasion preoperatively. Surgeon-performed US can be considered as a complementary adjunct to preoperative imaging in patients with pulmonary lesions abutting the chest wall to improve preoperative diagnosis, staging, and operative planning.

Unilateral Preoperative Chest Wall Irradiation in Bilateral Tissue Expander Breast Reconstruction with Acellular Dermal Matrix

Prior breast irradiation increases the rate of postoperative complications, including capsular contracture, in tissue expander/implant reconstruction. Acellular dermal matrix is heralded to decrease capsular contracture, but recent evidence suggests a possible increase in postoperative complications. The authors evaluated outcomes in patients undergoing bilateral tissue expander/implant reconstruction with acellular dermal matrix in the setting of prior unilateral irradiation. A case-control study was conducted on all patients undergoing bilateral, acellular dermal matrix-assisted, tissue expander/implant reconstruction with a history of previous unilateral irradiation at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Complication rates were compared. Twenty-three patients met inclusion criteria and had an average follow-up of 19 months (range, 4 to 60 months). The perioperative infection rate was 21.7 percent (n = 5) in irradiated breasts and 4.3 percent (n = 1) in control breasts (p = 0.079). Mastectomy skin flap necrosis, explantation, hematoma, and seroma rates were not significantly different between the groups. Sixty percent of patients had irradiated breast contracture that was one Baker grade greater than that in the nonirradiated breast. Body mass index greater than 25 and smoking history were significant independent risk factors for early postoperative complications in univariate analysis (p = 0.01). Previous irradiation does not appear to increase the risk of early postoperative complications associated with acellular dermal matrix use in tissue expander/implant breast reconstruction. However, body mass index greater than 25 and smoking history are cause for caution. In addition, acellular dermal matrix does not appear to affect the degree of capsular contracture formation in the setting of prior irradiation. : Therapeutic, III.

Unilateral Preoperative Chest Wall Irradiation in Bilateral Tissue Expander/Implant Breast Reconstruction with Acellular Dermal Matrix

Unilateral Preoperative Chest Wall Irradiation in Bilateral Tissue Expander/Implant Breast Reconstruction with Acellular Dermal Matrix

Comparison of Aesthetic Breast Reconstruction After Skin-Sparing or Conventional Mastectomy in Patients Receiving Preoperative Radiation Therapy

Many options exist for the surgical treatment of breast cancer in terms of tumor extirpation and reconstruction. Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) with immediate reconstruction offers patients a superior result, but this can be jeopardized by preoperative radiotherapy. We compared the outcomes of reconstruction after SSM or conventional mastectomy (CM) in the previously irradiated breast. We evaluated 41 patients over an 8-year period, who were divided into 3 categories: preoperative radiotherapy prior to SSM (n = 8), CM after preoperative radiation therapy (n = 9), and no chest wall irradiation prior to SSM (n = 20). The first group demonstrated significantly higher frequency of native flap compromise and capsular contracture formation than the other 2 groups.SSM with TRAM or latissimus with implant reconstruction is an esthetically optimal option for the treatment of patients without previous radiotherapy. However, for patients with preoperative chest wall radiation, TRAM flap reconstruction was superior to latissimus flap with implant after SSM.

A Single Surgeon???s 12-Year Experience with Tissue Expander/Implant Breast Reconstruction: Part I. A Prospective Analysis of Early Complications

Multiple prior reports are conflicted regarding the true incidence of complications following implant-based breast reconstruction. A review of a single surgeon's extensive experience with tissue expander/implant reconstruction provides the opportunity to critically evaluate outcomes in a uniformly treated patient population. The objective of this study was to analyze the development of early complications in patients following two-stage implant breast reconstruction. A review of all tissue expander/implant reconstructions performed by a single surgeon over the 12-year period from July of 1992 to June of 2004 was performed. A prospectively maintained database was analyzed with respect to reconstructive and early complication data on 1522 reconstructions in 1221 patients. Early complications were defined as those occurring 12 months or less from initiation of reconstruction. The overall rate of early complications was 5.8 percent; the rate of premature expander removal was 2.7 percent. The most common complication was infection (2.5 percent). The incidence of complications after tissue expander insertion (8.5 percent) was significantly higher than that after the exchange procedure (2.7 percent). The rate of complications was significantly higher in patients with a history of preoperative chest wall irradiation. There was no difference in the incidence of complications in patients who were expanded during chemotherapy and those who were not. Tissue expander/implant reconstruction is a safe, reliable method of reconstruction with minimal early complications. Early complications are more common after expander insertion. Chemotherapy administered during tissue expansion does not increase the rate of complications. The rate of complications, although higher in previously irradiated patients, remains low.

DIEP and Pedicled TRAM Flaps: A Comparison of Outcomes

Studies comparing similar and sizable numbers of deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) and pedicled transverse rectus abdominis musculocutaneous (TRAM) flap reconstructions are lacking. The authors hoped to determine whether the DIEP flap has advantages over the pedicled TRAM flap for breast reconstruction. The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of women undergoing breast reconstruction over a 9-year period at a single institution. Patients were grouped by type of reconstruction: DIEP or pedicled TRAM. Only patients with at least 3 months of postoperative follow-up were studied. A total of 190 women underwent unilateral breast reconstructions (96 DIEP and 94 pedicled TRAM flaps). The patient groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index, preoperative chest wall irradiation and abdominal operations, and cancer stage. The median hospital stay for the DIEP group was shorter than that for the pedicled TRAM group (4 versus 5 days, p < .001). Operative time for the DIEP group (5:53 hours) was longer than that for the pedicled TRAM group (4:46 hours, p < .001). The fat necrosis rates for the pedicled TRAM group were higher (58.5 percent) than those for the DIEP group (17.7 percent, p < .001). Abdominal wall hernias occurred more frequently in pedicled TRAM (16.0 percent) than DIEP patients (1.0 percent, p < .001). Abdominal wall bulge rates were similar for both groups (DIEP 9.4 percent versus pedicled TRAM 14.9 percent). DIEP flap reconstruction can be performed with lower morbidity rates and shorter hospital stays than pedicled TRAM reconstruction. Specifically, fat necrosis and abdominal wall hernias are less common in DIEP patients than in pedicled TRAM patients, while flap failure and abdominal wall bulging rates are similar in the two patient groups. These data support the DIEP flap as the preferred option over the pedicled TRAM flap for autologous breast reconstruction in postmastectomy patients.

Incidence of breast and chest wall asymmetry in breast augmentation: a retrospective analysis of 100 patients.

Although much is written concerning breast augmentation, few authors have addressed preoperative chest wall analysis as it pertains to postoperative outcome. In the present study, 100 patients were randomly selected, underwent bilateral augmentation, and were examined retrospectively by four independent physicians using standardized preoperative photographs. Each patient was examined for ptosis and asymmetry of the nipples, breast mound, and chest wall. Results revealed significant asymmetries in all parameters. Nipple-areola complex asymmetry was present in 24 percent (nipple/areola size) and 53 percent (nipple position) of the women. Mound asymmetry was noted in 44 percent (volume), 29 percent (base constriction), and 30 percent (inframammary fold position) of the women, and finally, 29 percent of the women had grade I to III ptosis. Chest wall asymmetry was observed in 9 percent of the women. Overall, 88 percent of the women had some degree of asymmetry, and 65 percent of the women had more than one parameter of asymmetry. These findings underscore the importance of developing a systematic preoperative breast and chest wall analysis that can be individualized for each patient. The resulting asymmetries should then be discussed with the patient, along with the potential for continued or even more pronounced asymmetry postoperatively.

A Study of Rib Biopsy

A retrospective study of one decade of rib biopsy in four hospitals in Nashville, Tenn, showed 61 biopsies were done in 60 patients. The typical patient was a male in his seventh decade. Preferred operative technique was open biopsy with general anesthesia. One half of the patients had metastatic malignancy; most of the known primary tumors were lung cancer. About one fifth of specimens were normal ribs. Biopsy was done in nine of these because of false-positive scintigraphy. Accurate preoperative chest wall localization is critical in order to minimize intraoperative decision-making problems. Yield of rib biopsy should be increased by more careful clinical observation, including critical evaluation of bone scans, avoiding overinterpretation of physical findings and observing for healing of possible rib fractures.

Intraoperative prebypass and postbypass epicardial color flow imaging in the repair of atrioventricular septal defects

The use of intraoperative epicardial Doppler echocardiography with color flow imaging both before and after cardiopulmonary bypass to assist repair of congenital heart defects in infants and small children has not been reported. To demonstrate its simplicity and utility, we obtained immediately prebypass and postbypass examinations from 18 consecutive patients undergoing repair of atrioventricular septal defects between March 1987 and March 1988 (aged newborn to 3 years, smallest 2.4 kg, 11 patients less than 1 year old). Direct application of a sterile transducer to the epicardial surface eliminates any restriction imposed by the transesophageal approach, and the routine use of color flow imaging enables the operating surgeon to directly evaluate intracardiac anatomy and flows in a variety of orientations. Average examination time was 3.95 +/- 1.96 minutes. Prebypass studies disclosed that a short-axis inspection through the common atrioventricular valve orifice produced a unique visualization of the dynamic commitments of atrioventricular valve tissue throughout systole and diastole that was helpful in planning valve allocation during repair. In addition, echocardiography demonstrated features not previously appreciated in seven of 18 patients (39%). In all, image quality and resolution were vastly superior to preoperative chest wall studies. Postbypass studies revealed significant residual interventricular shunts in two of 18 patients (11%). Views obtained from various orientations directed specific and efficient repair immediately so that all patients left the operating room with documented, surgically acceptable results. Comparison of ventricular function between prebypass and postbypass studies enabled appropriate application of pharmacologic agents in the operating room if necessary. All patients survived their operation. There have been two late deaths, and 16 patients are alive and doing well (follow-up: 9 to 21 months). These experiences indicate that intraoperative epicardial Doppler color flow imaging (1) can be easily learned and applied by the surgeon, (2) enhances the repair of atrioventricular septal defect by providing unique spatial, anatomic, and flow information in the beating heart at the time of repair, (3) increases confidence of a surgically acceptable repair before the patients leave the operating room, (4) guides specific surgical or anesthetic adjustments to optimize results, and (5) works as a valuable aid that may help reduce poor results in the repair of complex congenital cardiac lesions.