Breast reconstruction patients ‘prefer their own tissues over implants’

Women undergoing breast reconstruction surgery generally tend to be more satisfied when the procedure uses their own tissues, rather than implants.

This is according to a study from the University Medical Center Groningen in the Netherlands, which used a questionnaire to analyse patient satisfaction and quality of life after breast reconstruction among 92 breast surgery patients between 2006 and 2010.

It was found that those who underwent autologous reconstruction – which uses the patient's own tissues, generally from donor flaps from the abdomen, to create the new breast – experienced average satisfaction scores of 75 out of 100, compared to 65.5 for those receiving implants.

However, this trend may at least partly reflect differences in the characteristics of the women choosing the different options, with women choosing autologous reconstruction tending to be older and undergoing surgery an average of 21 months after mastectomy, whereas implant-based reconstruction was usually performed immediately.

The researchers concluded that the findings "may inform patients and medical teams in making decisions about breast reconstruction".

This type of surgery is commonly provided for women who have had breasts removed to treat or prevent cancer. It can be an effective way of restoring the patient's natural figure and shape.