Impact of surgical complications on patient reported outcomes (PROs) following nipple sparing mastectomy

Introduction: Nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) is oncologically safe and provides excellent cosmetic outcomes. Complications after surgery may impact patient reported outcomes (PROs). We assessed the impact of complications on PROs after NSM. Methods: We enrolled 63 patients (pts) who met eligibility criteria for NSM from September 2011 until August 2014. PROs were administered before surgery and at 1 year. Clinical data were collected from the electronic health record. Analyses were performed in SPSS Statistics for Windows (version 21.0). Pts with and without complications were compared using a one-way ANOVA. Data: Sixty-three women were enrolled with a median age of 46. Postoperative complications requiring surgical treatment were seen in 10 patients (15.9%). Two patients required nipple excision due to necrosis (3.1%). No statistically significant differences in BREAST-Q scores were seen between pts with and without complications. Conclusion: Experiencing a complication after initial NSM surgery is not associated with decrease in PROs.

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