Plastic Surgery Articles

Breast Cancer Patients Don’t Always Get Plastic Surgery Referrals

April 10, 2007 -

Very few breast cancer patients pursue reconstruction surgery after mastectomy, and new research helps explain why. Less than 50 percent of breast cancer surgeons regularly refer their patients to a cosmetic surgeon to discuss treatment after mastectomy, a new University of Michigan study indicates.

The study surveyed 365 breast cancer surgeons to see how routinely they were referring patients to plastic surgeons prior to mastectomy. According to the survey results, 44 percent of surgeons referred fewer than 25 percent of breast cancer patients to a cosmetic surgeon.

However, the doctors involved in the study credited the low rate of reconstruction in breast cancer patients to other factors:

• 64 percent believed their patients weren’t interested in reconstruction
• 57 percent thought reconstruction surgery wasn’t of utmost importance to breast cancer patients
• 39 percent said their patients were concerned about the lengthy process of reconstruction surgery

Furthermore, nearly half of the surgeons claimed they thought their patients were concerned over the cost of reconstruction, although a 1998 law required insurance carriers to cover breast reconstructive procedures.

“We, as a profession, need to do a better job at offering multidisciplinary care or improved decision aids so that patients can be fully educated about all of their treatment options,” said lead researcher of the study Dr. Amy Alderman.

“Knowing about reconstructive options appears to influence women’s choice for surgical therapy. We have made some significant advances in reconstructive surgery where immediate reconstruction produces better aesthetic results,” she said.

Considering breast reconstruction? Please click here to speak with a board certified plastic surgeon near you about your options.

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