Impact of immediate breast reconstruction on body posture of patients with breast cancer

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate and compare postural changes resulting from immediate breast reconstruction in a single procedure, ie, with the contralateral breast concomitant symmetrization. Methods: Prospective cohort in which 19 women underwent surgical treatment for breast cancer with immediate reconstruction techniques. There were two groups: mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (n=12), and lumpectomy with immediate reconstruction (n=7). All patients were evaluated before surgery and after the 1° month, with follow-up evaluations at 2°, 3°, 4° e 5° months after surgery. In order to determine body posture and possible changes after surgery, different variables were used to demonstrate the changes in body posture: the projection of the head, protrusion of the shoulders, abduction of the shoulder blades, asymmetry of the shoulder, lateral inclination of the column, thoracic curve, lumbar curve, center of gravity and angle of the breasts. All these parameters were obtained in the sagittal and coronal planes from the method of photogrammetry. Results: Changes were observed in relation to previous body symmetry in the variables, abduction of the shoulder blades, asymmetry of the shoulders, lateral inclination of the column, center of gravity and angle of the breasts. The surgical procedure for treatment of breast with immediate reconstruction technique for generating single time did not show statistically significant negative interference on the postural pattern of the patient groups compared to preoperative values. Statistically significant differences (ANOVA, p<0.05) between groups of mastectomy and quadrantectomy in breast angle variables and lumbar curvature, the angle of the breasts increased in the postoperative group of mastectomy with immediate reconstruction and single-time curvature lumbar differ between the two groups preoperatively, with a decrease in curvature similar postoperative evaluations of both groups, remained within the normal biomechanicas. The average pain presented by the groups was characterized mildly according to visual analog scale. Conclusion: Immediate breast reconstruction in a single procedure showed no statistically significant interference of negative order in the posture of patients with breast cancer.