Findings of a national comparative audit of mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery in England

This paper summarises the findings of a national audit of mastectomy and breast reconstruction surgery carried out in England. It describes patterns of treatment, and the clinical and patient-reported quality of life outcomes associated with these types of procedure.

Prospective cohort study.

All 150 National Health Service hospital groups (NHS trusts) in England that provided mastectomy or breast reconstruction surgery, along with six NHS trusts in Wales and Scotland and 114 independent hospitals.

Women aged 16 years and over undergoing mastectomy with or without immediate breast reconstruction, or primary delayed breast reconstruction, between 1st January 2008 and 31st March 2009.

Reconstructive utilisation, post-operative complications and sequelae, and patient-reported satisfaction and quality of life.

Overall, 21% of the 16,485 women who had mastectomy underwent immediate reconstruction. However, the proportion varied between regions from 9% to 43% (p < 0.001). Levels of patient satisfaction with information, choice and the quality of care were high. The proportion of women who experienced local complications was 10.30% (95% CI 9.78-10.84) for mastectomy surgery, ranged from 11.02% (9.31-12.92) to 18.24% (14.80-22.10) for different immediate reconstructive procedures, and from 5.00% (2.76-8.25) to 19.86% (16.21-23.94) for types of delayed reconstruction. Breast appearance and overall well-being scores reported 18 months after surgery were higher among women having immediate breast reconstruction compared to mastectomy only. Postoperative outcomes were similar across providers..

The Audit found women were highly satisfied with their peri-operative care, with hospital providers achieving similar outcomes. English providers should examine how to reduce the variation in rates of immediate reconstruction.