Incidence of severe capsular contracture following implant-based immediate breast reconstruction with or without postoperative chest wall radiotherapy using 40 Gray in 15 fractions.

[PURPOSE] To determine the incidence of capsular contracture (CC) requiring revisional surgery in patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy (RT) or no RT following mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction.

[MATERIAL AND METHODS] One hundred and seventy-eight immediate breast reconstructions performed at the Cambridge Breast Unit between 1.1.2001 and 31.12.2005 were identified. RT was delivered using a standard UK scheme of 40 Gray in 15 fractions over 3 weeks. The influence of hormones and chemotherapy as well as postoperative RT on time to development of severe CC after implant-based reconstruction was explored in univariate and multivariate analysis.

[RESULTS] One hundred and ten patients had implant-based reconstructions with a median follow-up of 51 months. In the RT group (41 patients), there were 8 patients with severe CC requiring revisional surgery, a crude rate of 19.5%, with actuarial rates of 0%, 5%, 5%, 21%, 30% and 30% at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 years follow-up. In the unirradiated group, there were no cases of severe CC. This difference is highly significant (p<0.001). Hormones and chemotherapy were not significantly associated with severe CC.

[CONCLUSIONS] This series showed a significantly higher rate of severe CC with postoperative RT. This finding has important clinical implications, when counselling patients for immediate breast reconstruction.