Hyperbaric oxygen therapy after reconstructive breast surgery: A retrospective study

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been proposed as a potential treatment for tissue recovery. Despite its limited application in breast skin flap ischemia, some studies suggest possible benefits in wound healing.

This is a single-center, retrospective study including women who underwent reconstructive breast surgery, whether carcinologic or prophylactic, that received hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions for scarring defects following mastectomy and reconstruction at Centre Antoine Lacassagne, 33 Avenue de Valombrose, 06189 Nice, France.

The secondary outcome included the need for another surgical intervention, preservation of breast implants or the nipple-areolar complex and complications associated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. 39 women were included in our study MAIN FINDINGS: Ten patients (25.6%) experienced unfavorable healing outcomes, while 29 patients (74.4%) showed favorable outcomes. Complete wound healing was independent from the patients' risk factors, including age, BMI and smoking. 50% of patients who had previous breast irradiation had unfavorable outcome. There was no correlation between wound healing and nipple areolar complex grafting. Favorable outcomes seem to correlate with shorter time between surgery and oxygen therapy initiation as well as fewer total sessions.

This study describes wound healing outcomes in patients treated with HBOT. While favorable outcomes were observed, the absence of a control group precludes any causal inference regarding efficacy. HBOT may represent a therapeutic option in selected cases, but its benefit should be confirmed in prospective controlled studies.