Plastic surgery for patients with postmastectomy syndrome

Objective

Improvement in the quality of life of patients given definitive treatment for breast cancer.

Materials and method

The Institute has acquired a wide and long-term experience in combination and multimodality treatment of breast cancer patients. One of the complications of such treatment is postmastectomy lymphoedema. This occurs, according to different researchers, in 33.3–84.3% of the cases. We have developed techniques of multimodal treatment for postmastectomy lymphoedema including oral administration of Cyclo-3 Fort, pneumatic compression, myostimulation by magnetic induction and lymph-drain surgical interventions employing omentobrachyopexy. Forty-six patients received such treatment.

Results

With microsurgical autotransplantation of the greater omentum, oedema reduction made up 79.0 ± 2.28%, with its transposition – 81.2 ± 3.18%. In two patients, the profile of the missing breast was restored after correction of lymphovenous insufficiency; in one patient, excision of radiation ulcer in the anterior thoracic wall was performed with plastic building of the defect.

Conclusion

The above method of multimodality treatment for postmastectomy oedemas using plastic surgery is beneficial for the rehabilitation of breast cancer patients, considerably improving the quality of their life.