Profile of surgical complications and complication-led reoperation rates in breast cancer patients who underwent oncoplastic breast surgery with volume displacements.

[BACKGROUND] The study aimed to compare the complication rates after different tissue displacement techniques of oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery performed by general surgeons for breast cancer management.

[METHODS] Data were retrieved from Turkish Oncoplastic Breast Surgery Working Group database. Oncoplastic breast surgery techniques were classified into 6 main groups. All relevant confounding variables such as patient and breast characteristics, surgery details and adjuvant treatments were retrieved. All patients were followed for minimum 90 days postoperatively. All surgery-related complications and complication-led reoperations were noted as the endpoints.

[RESULTS] 2885 patients were included in the study. The most common techniques were Racquet mammoplasty (27%), vertical pattern mammoplasty (26%), and radial/fusiform mammoplasty (18%). Overall a complication developed in 14.2% of patients. Minor complications constituted the majority. Most common complication was wound dehiscence (6.6%). Complications were more common after vertical mammoplasties. Only 1.5% of patients needed reoperation due to complications.

[CONCLUSION] Overall complication rates were found to be low in this cohort of breast cancer patients who had oncoplastic breast cancer surgery. Overall, surgical complications developed more after vertical mammoplasty. Wound dehiscence was the most common complication. A negligible number of patients needed reoperation with local wound procedures due to surgical complications and none needed mastectomy.