Nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction: Critical appraisal of five-year, single-center outcomes

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Background: Approximately 5,000 patients undergo breast reconstruction annually in the United Kingdom (2:1 ratio of immediate versus delayed respectively). Preservation of the breast envelope, i.e., skin and nipple areola complex (NAC) improves cosmesis. While skin-sparing mastectomy is an accepted modality for local control in appropriately selected patients, nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) remains controversial. In over 1,800 published NSM cases, the local event rate attributable to NAC preservation following NSM (therapeutic and prophylactic) is 0.16% with no evidence of deleterious impact on disease-free survival. In our cohort, patient selection criteria included: preoperative lesion characterisation; 5-mm margin acceptance; submission of separate nipple core specimens for paraffin block histological assessment and re-excision of all involved margins. This study is intended to evaluate the efficacy of loco-regional control in a consecutive cohort of patients, under uniform conditions undergoing nipple-sparing mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction. We highlight the surgical technique used and propose in/exclusion criteria for appropriate patient selection.

Methods: 84 consecutive patients underwent NSM and IBR at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey, UK (IJL, RD) between January 2004 and December 2008. Data was accrued retrospectively from the institution’s clinical coding, electronic records, and WinPath database. Endpoints recorded include: the incidence of (occult) malignancy at the nipple margins; NAC subcutaneous tissue loss; local (NAC) recurrence rates and disease free survival.

Results: The mean age was 51.1 years and follow-up 4.9 years. There was one case of local recurrence in a patient who declined re-excision of close/involved margins. The immediate peri-operative complication rate was within the national mastectomy breast reconstruction audit outcome guidelines.

Conclusions: In appropriately selected patients, our findings support nipple preservation at the time of mastectomy and immediate reconstruction as this enhances the cosmetic outcome without compromising oncologic safety.