[Deferred breast reconstruction - soul surgery?]

The loss or mutilation of a breast as a result of surgical treatment of neoplastic disease always represents a negative impact on a woman's psyche and negatively influences the quality of the woman's remaining life. The goal of our work was to implement deferred breast reconstruction into routine practice and the objectification of the influence of reconstruction on bodily integrity, quality of life, and the feeling of satisfaction in women.

Women in remission from neoplastic disease after a radical mastectomy were indicated for breast reconstruction. Between January 2002 and December 2011 deferred breast reconstruction was carried out 174 × on 163 women, with an average age of 49.2 and an age range of 29-67 years. The most frequently used reconstruction method was a simple gel augmentation of the breast or a Becker expander/implant - 51 (29.3%) and 37 (21.3%), or in combination with a lateral thoracodorsal flap (31; 17.8% and 47; 27%); reconstruction using a free DIEP flap was carried out 7 × (4%). Complications occurred in 19 operations (10.9%) with a dominance of inflammation and pericapsular fibrosis, in a subjective analysis, satisfaction with the results prevailed, along with an increased quality of life after reconstruction.

A growing number of deferred breast reconstructions, women's satisfaction with the results, the positive influence of renewed bodily integrity on the feeling of life satisfaction and the quality of life have elevated breast reconstructions to a qualitatively higher level.