Single-Incision Approach for Breast-Conserving Surgery: Effectiveness, Complications and Quality of Life

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Breast Surgery
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Background:

• Breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is a standard oncologic treatment.
• Minimally invasive techniques aim to improve cosmetic outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• Single-incision approaches are being explored to reduce surgical morbidity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a single-incision approach for BCS.
• To compare postoperative complications, patient satisfaction, and quality of life between single-incision and standard BCS.

Main Methods:

• An observational, prospective study comparing single-incision BCS with conventional multi-incision BCS.
• Patient data collected from 2015-2018.
• Breast-Q™ questionnaire used for preoperative and postoperative assessments.

Main Results:

• High success rate (98.7%) for single-incision tumor extirpation and lymph node (LN) staging.
• No significant differences in overall postoperative complications between groups.
• Single-incision group reported higher satisfaction with breast aesthetics and surgeon communication.

Conclusions:

• The single-incision approach is oncologically equivalent to standard BCS for resection and LN staging.
• This technique demonstrates comparable complication rates and improved patient satisfaction.
• Single-incision BCS offers a viable alternative with enhanced cosmetic and informational benefits for patients.