THE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND OUTCOMES OF BREAST CANCER SURGERY

We studied women after breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy with immediate (IR) and delayed reconstruction to determine the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). The SSI rate was 1.3% for BCS, 5.2% for mastectomy, and 10.3% for mastectomy plus IR with flap. SSI risk was higher for mastectomy and IR with implantation versus delayed reconstruction with implantation (8.8% versus 5.9%, P = 0.039) or staged reconstruction with implantation (3.3%, P <0.001). Women with SSI had more SSIs after second-staged reconstruction and implantation compared to those without SSI (10.9% versus 2.7%, P <0.001). SSI was first coded 2 to 30 days postoperatively in 50.3%, and 23% between 31 and 60 days postoperatively. The noninfectious wound complication rate was 10.8%. The noninfectious wound complication rate was 5.8% after mastectomy, 13.4% after mastectomy with implantation, 18.7% after mastectomy with flap, and 15.2% with mastectomy flap and implantation (P <0.001). Implants were removed within 60 days in 6% of mastectomies with implantation.