Clinical Advances in Breast Reconstruction: Treatment and Management

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery/Aesthetic Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 991

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
The Plastic Surgery Center, The Institute for Advanced Reconstruction, Shrewsbury, NJ 07702, USA
Interests: breast reconstruction; lymphedema; head and neck reconstruction; lower extremity limb salvage; microsurgery

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are excited to introduce this Special Issue, "Clinical Advances in Breast Reconstruction: Treatment and Management", for the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Certainly, the field of breast reconstruction has made tremendous strides in recent years, and we hope to provide clinicians with a broad and comprehensive overview of these new developments, as well as what is emerging on the horizon. This Special Issue will encompass a wide spectrum of topics involving technological advancements, robotic surgery, and enhanced recovery protocols for prosthetic and autologous tissue breast reconstruction.

Dr. Eric I-Yun Chang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • breast reconstruction
  • aesthetic breast surgery
  • robotic surgery
  • microsurgery
  • alloplastic breast reconstruction
  • autologous breast reconstruction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1246 KiB  
Article
Present and Future of Autologous Breast Reconstruction: Advancing Techniques to Minimize Morbidity and Complications, Enhancing Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction
by Mario F. Scaglioni, Federica Martini and Matteo Meroni
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(8), 2599; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14082599 - 10 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Background: Autologous breast reconstruction has undergone a remarkable evolution, driven by the pursuit of addressing past concerns primarily related to donor site morbidity and complication risks. Improved techniques now prioritize minimizing invasiveness, complications, and recovery time while achieving aesthetically pleasing and durable results. [...] Read more.
Background: Autologous breast reconstruction has undergone a remarkable evolution, driven by the pursuit of addressing past concerns primarily related to donor site morbidity and complication risks. Improved techniques now prioritize minimizing invasiveness, complications, and recovery time while achieving aesthetically pleasing and durable results. Methods: Recent advancements in autologous breast reconstruction have been examined, focusing on enhancements in surgical techniques, imaging technologies, minimally invasive approaches, and postoperative care. Results: To reduce donor site morbidity, attention has recently shifted back to abdominal flaps vascularized by subcutaneous vessels. Specifically, the superficial circumflex iliac artery perforator (SCIP) flap has emerged as a promising option. Additionally, robotic-assisted flap harvest serves as another method to reduce the invasiveness. At the recipient site, rib-sparing internal mammary vessel isolation and perforator-to-perforator anastomosis have been suggested to lessen trauma and maintain thoracic integrity. The use of thorough preoperative imaging and intraoperative assessment of real-time perfusion with indocyanine green angiography (ICG) has enhanced the success of the procedure. Beyond aesthetic restoration, contemporary breast reconstructive surgeons are increasingly aware of both short-term and long-term complications, particularly lymphatic sequelae. The LYMPHA technique (lymphatic microsurgical preventive healing approach) promotes immediate restoration of the lymphatic system and has shown the potential to reduce the risk of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Furthermore, the integration of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols has transformed perioperative care by optimizing pain management, minimizing hospitalization duration, and allowing a quicker return to daily activities. Conclusions: Recent advancements in autologous breast reconstruction have significantly improved patient outcomes. With innovations in flap design, technology, lymphatic preservation, and recovery protocols, it has been possible to usher in a new era of less invasive procedures and fewer complications while achieving high aesthetic results and allowing patients to return to their daily lives as quickly as possible. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Breast Reconstruction: Treatment and Management)
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Review

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22 pages, 431 KiB  
Review
The Present and Future of Robotic Surgery in Breast Cancer and Breast Reconstruction
by Brett Allen, Alexis Knutson, Noama Iftekhar, Casey Giles, Jarrell Patterson, Joshua MacDavid and Richard Baynosa
J. Clin. Med. 2025, 14(6), 2100; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm14062100 - 19 Mar 2025
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Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women with an improving mortality rate and a growing need for reconstruction following oncologic resection. Advancements in robotic surgery and minimally invasive techniques have offered refinement to traditional open techniques of flap harvest [...] Read more.
Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women with an improving mortality rate and a growing need for reconstruction following oncologic resection. Advancements in robotic surgery and minimally invasive techniques have offered refinement to traditional open techniques of flap harvest for reconstruction, particularly regarding improved donor site morbidity. Methods: The literature review was based on a PubMed database search using the keyword “Robotic breast reconstruction” in conjunction with the Boolean operators “Flap”, “Latissimus”, and “DIEP” to specify the search. In total, 106 results were generated, which were then manually reviewed and condensed for a comprehensive stance on the current status, technique, variations, and outcomes for robotic breast reconstruction. Results: Robotic technique has been described for the latissimus dorsi (LD) and deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flaps for breast reconstruction. For LD, robotic flap harvest reduces donor site morbidity, incisional length, and hospital length of stay, with similar complication rates for seroma/hematoma/infection, and longer operative times. Robotic LD procedures have been described in conjunction with single-site nipple-sparing mastectomy and flap elevation leading to a full minimally invasive resection and reconstruction from one lateral incision. Robotic DIEP harvest offers a considerably smaller fascial incision/rectus muscle dissection and has a comparable complication rate to traditional techniques with shorter hospital length of stay, and improved pain, at the expense of longer operating times. Data on hernia/bulge reduction from robotic techniques is limited and not yet available. Conclusions: Robotic breast reconstruction offers great potential for improving breast reconstruction in terms of donor site morbidity, length of incision, hospital length of stay at the cost of longer operating times, and increased technical skill/specialization, but it has yet to be proven on a large scale with long-term outcome data. Multi-center, prospective clinical data and trials are needed to help elucidate the potential for equivalence and superiority of the minimally invasive approach compared to standard open techniques, but the future is promising for robotic surgery in breast cancer and breast reconstruction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Clinical Advances in Breast Reconstruction: Treatment and Management)
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