Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients
Objectives: Hypervascularity, hypertrophy, and hyperpigmentation of breast scars often persist for several years after reconstruction. There are few reports on the long-term follow-up of postoperative scars after breast reconstruction. We previously reported that at 1 year after reconstruction, >...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jprs/4/1/4_2024-0013/_pdf/-char/en |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832568617587179520 |
|---|---|
| author | Risa Murakami Tomohiro Shiraishi Mikiko Imamura Akihiko Takushima Hirotaka Suga |
| author_facet | Risa Murakami Tomohiro Shiraishi Mikiko Imamura Akihiko Takushima Hirotaka Suga |
| author_sort | Risa Murakami |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Hypervascularity, hypertrophy, and hyperpigmentation of breast scars often persist for several years after reconstruction. There are few reports on the long-term follow-up of postoperative scars after breast reconstruction. We previously reported that at 1 year after reconstruction, >30% of Asian patients showed abnormal scars. In this study, we followed these patients for as long as 5 years postoperatively.
Methods: We followed 101 Asian patients who underwent immediate two-stage implant-based breast reconstructions between 2013 and 2017 and still had abnormal scars involving hypervascularity, hypertrophy, or hyperpigmentation at 1 year postoperatively. We conducted annual follow-up for an additional 4 years, assessing the time until improvement and performing statistical analysis of factors related to the persistence and healing of abnormal scars.
Results: Hypervascularity improved in 12%, 37%, 68%, and 82% of patients at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively. Most cases improved between 3 and 4 years postoperatively. Among the patients with both hypervascularity and hypertrophy at 1 year, 36% had residual hypervascularity at 5 years compared with 9.8% of those with hypervascularity only at 1 year. Hypertrophy improved within 5 years in 56% of the cases. Hyperpigmentation improved within 5 years in only 21% of the cases. There was no significant association between abnormal scars and age or body mass index.
Conclusions: Even in Asian patients with persistent hypervascularity of breast scars, most cases improve within 5 years after reconstruction. However, hypervascularity tends to persist in cases that also show hypertrophy. Compared with hypervascularity and hypertrophy, hyperpigmentation showed worse 5-year improvement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-149220b8811d45949085337a2ece27e2 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2436-259X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Japan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery |
| spelling | doaj-art-149220b8811d45949085337a2ece27e22025-02-03T00:52:47ZengJapan Society of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryJournal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery2436-259X2025-01-014120252024-0013Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian PatientsRisa Murakami0Tomohiro Shiraishi1Mikiko Imamura2Akihiko Takushima3Hirotaka Suga4Department of Plastic Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Mizonokuchi HospitalDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Kyorin University School of MedicineDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Kyorin University School of MedicineDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Kyorin University School of MedicineDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Mizonokuchi HospitalObjectives: Hypervascularity, hypertrophy, and hyperpigmentation of breast scars often persist for several years after reconstruction. There are few reports on the long-term follow-up of postoperative scars after breast reconstruction. We previously reported that at 1 year after reconstruction, >30% of Asian patients showed abnormal scars. In this study, we followed these patients for as long as 5 years postoperatively. Methods: We followed 101 Asian patients who underwent immediate two-stage implant-based breast reconstructions between 2013 and 2017 and still had abnormal scars involving hypervascularity, hypertrophy, or hyperpigmentation at 1 year postoperatively. We conducted annual follow-up for an additional 4 years, assessing the time until improvement and performing statistical analysis of factors related to the persistence and healing of abnormal scars. Results: Hypervascularity improved in 12%, 37%, 68%, and 82% of patients at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, respectively. Most cases improved between 3 and 4 years postoperatively. Among the patients with both hypervascularity and hypertrophy at 1 year, 36% had residual hypervascularity at 5 years compared with 9.8% of those with hypervascularity only at 1 year. Hypertrophy improved within 5 years in 56% of the cases. Hyperpigmentation improved within 5 years in only 21% of the cases. There was no significant association between abnormal scars and age or body mass index. Conclusions: Even in Asian patients with persistent hypervascularity of breast scars, most cases improve within 5 years after reconstruction. However, hypervascularity tends to persist in cases that also show hypertrophy. Compared with hypervascularity and hypertrophy, hyperpigmentation showed worse 5-year improvement.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jprs/4/1/4_2024-0013/_pdf/-char/enbreast reconstructionscar assessmenthypervascularityhypertrophyhyperpigmentation |
| spellingShingle | Risa Murakami Tomohiro Shiraishi Mikiko Imamura Akihiko Takushima Hirotaka Suga Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery breast reconstruction scar assessment hypervascularity hypertrophy hyperpigmentation |
| title | Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients |
| title_full | Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients |
| title_fullStr | Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients |
| title_short | Scar Healing after Breast Reconstruction: A 5-year Follow-up in Asian Patients |
| title_sort | scar healing after breast reconstruction a 5 year follow up in asian patients |
| topic | breast reconstruction scar assessment hypervascularity hypertrophy hyperpigmentation |
| url | https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jprs/4/1/4_2024-0013/_pdf/-char/en |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT risamurakami scarhealingafterbreastreconstructiona5yearfollowupinasianpatients AT tomohiroshiraishi scarhealingafterbreastreconstructiona5yearfollowupinasianpatients AT mikikoimamura scarhealingafterbreastreconstructiona5yearfollowupinasianpatients AT akihikotakushima scarhealingafterbreastreconstructiona5yearfollowupinasianpatients AT hirotakasuga scarhealingafterbreastreconstructiona5yearfollowupinasianpatients |