Effects of tamoxifen on survival of cutaneous and myocutaneous flap (experimental study).

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer is the most common non-skin malignancy in women. In breast cancer, the basic principle of endocrine therapy is to deprive tumor cell from the growth-stimulating effect of estrogens. The oldest, best-known and most widely used en - docrine therapy medicine is tamoxifen, which is a selective estrogen receptor blocker. All factors that are known to have adverse effects on flap and pre-reconstruction flap survive should be eliminated 3 weeks before the surgery and start - ed at the end of the 3 rd week after the surgery. When the literature is reviewed, there are limited studies about that tamoxifen increases the risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary em - bolism. The aim of this study was to research whether tamoxifen had adverse effects on the skin flap and muscle-skin flap survive. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 32 female Sprague-Davley rats were used. Their weights ranged from 220 to 250 g. 4 groups, each consisting of 8 rats, were formed. In this experimental study, in which rat models were used caudal based rat dorsal skin flap and supe - rior pedicle rectus abdominis musculocuta - neous flaps were applied. Control groups were formed for both flap models. Study groups were treated with tamoxifen citrat and control groups were treated with placebo. RESULTS: As a result of the statistical evalua - tion done by measuring the surviving flap areas, it was found out that tamoxifen had no negative effect on flap survive. CONCLUTIONS: Based on these findings, it was concluded that there was no need to stop tamox - ifen as long as 6-7 weeks in patients undergoing breast reconstruction with pedicle flap techniques.