Successful Immediate Staged Breast Reconstruction with Intermediary Autologous Lipotransfer in Irradiated Patients

: As indications for radiotherapy in mastectomized patients grow, the need for greater reconstructive options is critical. Preliminary research suggests an ameliorating impact of lipotransfer on irradiated patients with expander-to-implant reconstruction. Herein, we present our technique using lipotransfer during the expansion stage to facilitate implant placement. Methods: A retrospective review of postmastectomy patients with expander-to-implant reconstruction by one reconstructive surgeon was performed. All patients were treated with immediate expander and ADM placement at the time of mastectomy. Irradiated patients underwent a separate lipotransfer procedure after completion of radiotherapy but prior to prosthesis exchange. Our study compared postoperative outcomes between non-radiated patients and irradiated patients who underwent this intermediary lipotransfer. Clinical endpoints of interest included: overall complications, infection, delayed wound healing, dehiscence, capsular contracture, implant failure, and reoperation. Results: One hundred and thirty-one breast reconstructions were performed; 18 (13.74%) were irradiated and 113 (86.26%) were not. Overall complication risk (infection, implant failure, or reoperation) was no higher in irradiated breasts treated with lipotransfer than non-irradiated breasts (p=0.387). Fifteen patients who had one radiated and one non-radiated breast were separately analyzed; no difference in complication by radiotherapy exposure (p=1) was found. Age, BMI, smoking status, and nipple-sparing versus skin-sparing mastectomy did not vary significantly between study groups (p=0.182, p=0.696, p=0.489, p=1 respectively). Conclusions: Comparable postoperative outcomes were found between non-radiated breasts and radiated breasts treated with intermediary lipotransfer. The ameliorating effects of autologous lipotransfer on radiotoxicity may therefore offer irradiated patients the option of expander-to-implant reconstruction with acceptable risk and cosmesis.