Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
Garment-related patient-reported outcomes: a longitudinal pre-post comparison of autologous versus implant-based
Yen-Tung Liu1, Deepti Chopra2, Marie Karen Bravo Moix3
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Plastic Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Purpose:
Quantitative and qualitative methods have been used to explore breast cancer survivors' experience with bras, but there are limited studies using validated patient-reported outcome instruments. While BREAST-Q includes garment-related items, analyses of these items are rarely reported. This study aims to assess pre- and post-reconstruction changes in the garment-related items of BREAST-Q for patients who underwent autologous and implant-based breast reconstruction.
Method:
This longitudinal study included 81 patients who underwent autologous or implant-based breast reconstruction. Patients completed the BREAST-Q Breast Cancer modules, Appearance Schemas Inventory-Revised (ASI-R), and Body Image Scale (BIS) both pre-mastectomy and post-reconstruction. Robust regression was used to investigate associations between preoperative characteristics (age, BMI, ASI-R, surgery type) and postoperative patient-reported outcomes.
Results:
Positive changes were observed in all garment-related BREAST-Q outcomes from pre-to post-reconstruction, regardless of reconstruction type, with greater improvements in the autologous reconstruction group. Regression analysis showed mixed associations between preoperative characteristics and postoperative garment-related outcomes. While BMI and ASI-R were not significant predictors, age and surgery type influenced satisfaction with "how you look in the mirror clothed", with autologous reconstruction associated with higher satisfaction.
Conclusions:
The study found that garment experiences improved post-reconstruction for breast cancer patients. However, the limited garment-related items in BREAST-Q underscore the need for a dedicated, validated tool to better assess these experiences.