Current approaches to managing partial breast defects: the role of conservative breast surgery reconstruction

Recently breast surgeons can offer patients a variety of treatment and reconstructive alternatives when early breast cancer is diagnosed. In fact, advances in reconstructive techniques have reduced surgical trauma and thus are capable of preserving the breast form as well as quality of life. Depending on a variety of different factors, including stage, tumor size, location, hystological type, but also breast volume, a reconstructive schedule is established. The main techniques are related to volume displacement or replacement procedures including local flaps, latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flap and reduction mammaplasty/ masthopexy. Regardless of the fact that there are is no consensus over the best approach, the criteria are determined by the surgeon's experience and the size of the defect in relation to the size of the remaining breast. Aim of every reconstructive procedure decision should be breast preservation and an adequate aesthetic outcome. Additionally, reconstruction permits wider excision of the tumor, with a superior mean volume of the specimen and potentially reducing the incidence of margin involvement. The objective of this review is to give an overview of reconstructive modalities for conservative breast surgery, based not only on traditional but also on the latest studies regarding the outcome of the main techniques employed. Surgical approaches, as well as conservative treatment options, such as lumpectomy and quadrantectomy, are further discussed. Surgical planning should include the patients' preferences, while chiefly addressing individual reconstructive requirements, and enabling each patient to receive an individual "custom-made" reconstruction.