Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
The sensory recovery of the breast remains an undervalued aspect of breast reconstruction and surgical reinnervation is not regarded as a priority by most reconstructive surgeons. A prospective study was conducted of all patients who underwent either innervated or non-innervated DIEP flap breast reconstruction in Maastricht University Medical Center and returned for follow-up between September 2015 and July 2017. Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments were used for sensory testing of the breast. This study showed that nerve coaptation in DIEP flap breast reconstruction resulted in a significantly improved sensation of the reconstructed breast compared to non-innervated flaps.
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Innervated DIEP flaps | Patients in this group underwent immediate or delayed, unilateral or bilateral deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction with additional sensory nerve coaptation. |
| |
| Non-innervated DIEP flaps | Patients in this group underwent immediate or delayed, unilateral or bilateral deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstruction without sensory nerve coaptation. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensory nerve coaptation | Procedure | A recipient sensory nerve of the abdomen was reattached to a donor nerve in the chest area. The sensory branch of usually the 11th intercostal nerve was used as recipient nerve for nerve coaptation and the anterior cutaneous branch of the third intercostal nerve was used as donor nerve. Direct, end-to-end nerve coaptation was performed with two stitches. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| The extent of sensory recovery of the reconstructed breast to touch | The sensory recovery of the breast to touch was tested at different follow-up moments after the initial surgery. Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments were used for sensory testing. Nine areas of the breast, indicating native skin and flap skin, were tested. Mean monofilament values were calculated for each area and compared between groups. | Through study completion up to 24 months postoperatively |
Not provided
Not provided
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
Female patients of 18 years or older.
Not provided
In this prospective study, patients who underwent an innervated or non-innervated DIEP flap breast reconstruction between January 2010 and July 2016 at Maastricht University Medical Center in the Netherlands were included if they returned for follow-up between September 2015 and July 2017.
Not provided
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| René van der Hulst, MD, PhD | Maastricht University Medical Center | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maastricht University Medical Center | Maastricht | Limburg | 6229 HX | Netherlands |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001943 | Breast Neoplasms |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D009371 | Neoplasms by Site |
| D009369 | Neoplasms |
| D001941 | Breast Diseases |
| D012871 | Skin Diseases |
Not provided
Not provided
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D016067 | Nerve Transfer |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D019635 | Neurosurgical Procedures |
| D013514 | Surgical Procedures, Operative |
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
Not provided
|
|
| D017437 |
| Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases |