Trends in Ancillary Procedures Following Staged Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction

The shift from submuscular to prepectoral breast reconstruction has contributed to anecdotal changes in practices around ancillary procedures, such as autologous fat grafting and nipple-areola complex (NAC) reconstruction. Although prepectoral reconstruction carries a lesser risk for muscular injury, postoperative pain and animation deformity, it is associated with decreased soft-tissue coverage and may necessitate ancillary procedures. This study examines operative trends following staged implant-based breast reconstruction to determine if tissue expander (TE) plane is associated with changes in the utilization of supplemental procedures.

We conducted a retrospective review using the TriNetX research database of deidentified patient data. Using Current Procedural Terminology codes, we identified adult female patients who underwent (1) mastectomy, (2) TE placement between 2013 and 2020, and (3) implant exchange. We grouped patients by year of TE placement and collected postimplant procedure characteristics.

We identified 10,984 patients who underwent TE placement between 2013 and 2020 and subsequent implant exchange. There were 854 patients in the 2013 cohort and 1634 in the 2020 cohort. Fat grafting was 2.76-fold more prevalent in the 2020 cohort compared to the 2013 cohort (43.0% vs 15.6%, P < 0.001). Notably, the percentage of patients undergoing more than one round of fat grafting increased from 4.1% in the 2013 cohort to 11.9% in the 2020 cohort (P < 0.001). Fat grafting at the time of implant exchange was also more common in later cohorts, increasing from 6.6% of patients in the 2013 cohort to 32.0% in the 2020 cohort (P < 0.001). Over the study period, rates of NAC reconstruction were observed to decrease. A total of 10.3% of patients in the 2020 cohort underwent NAC reconstruction compared to 24.6% in the 2013 cohort (P < 0.001). Nipple tattooing procedures were also performed less frequently in recent cohorts.

In more recent cohorts, procedures aimed at correcting contour irregularities and rippling, specifically autologous fat grafting, have become more common. In contrast, the rates of NAC reconstruction and nipple tattooing have decreased, possibly because of challenges related to thin mastectomy skin flaps and limited soft-tissue coverage, which are more common in prepectoral reconstruction.