Regional variation in immediate breast reconstruction in Australia

Breast reconstruction following mastectomy has proven benefits and is the standard of care in many high-income countries. This audit documented regional variation in immediate breast reconstruction rates across Australia.

The Breast Surgeons of Australia and New Zealand (BreastSurgANZ) Quality Audit database and geospatial software were used to model the distribution of breast reconstructions performed on women having mastectomy in Australia in 2013. Geospatial mapping identified the distribution of these procedures in relation to the Greater Capital City Statistical Areas (GCCSAs) of the five largest states. Data were analysed using χ² tests of independence and an independent-samples t test.

Of 3786 patients having a mastectomy, 692 underwent breast reconstruction of which 679 (98·1 per cent) were immediate reconstructions. Rates of reconstruction differed significantly between jurisdictions (χ² = 164·90), and were significantly higher in GCCSAs (χ² = 144·60) and private hospitals (χ² = 50·72) (all P < 0·001). Immediate breast reconstruction was not reported for 43·8 per cent of hospitals where mastectomy was conducted by members of BreastSurgANZ, including 29·8 per cent of hospitals within GCCSAs. A wider age range of women appeared to have had immediate reconstructions at hospitals within GCCSAs, although the difference in mean age between regions was not significant. Immediate breast reconstruction was considerably less likely to be performed in women who lived in areas of lower to mid socioeconomic status.

Variations in the rate of immediate breast reconstruction may not be purely resource-driven.