title: Optimizing therapeutic timing in patients undergoing mastectomy through use of the Tiloop® synthetic mesh: single-step surgery.
abstract: Patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer have to face a long and elaborated therapeutic path, very often burdened by reoperation to replace the temporary expander, used to enlarge the submuscular pouch, with a definitive implant. Postoperative planning represents a critical moment of care, as it requires the integration of multiple treatments (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonotherapy) each with a specific deadline. We believe that in such a complex multidisciplinary approach, coordination among the different therapeutic phases should be the key to success. The aim of the Breast Unit is to manage rapidly the ad hoc paths set out for each patient in order to guarantee compliance with adequate therapeutic timing. With this purpose in mind we tested the advantage of immediate reconstruction with definitive implants, by using a polypropylene mesh which, prolonging the inferolateral profile of the pectoralis major muscle (PMM), allows for direct accommodation of the desired implant volume. This leads to a single-step surgical approach, guaranteeing at the same time reduced interference with adjuvant therapies and good aesthetic results. We applied this technique to 4 patients, one of which was bilateral and, in spite of the restricted number of cases, our results seem to be promising.
authors.affiliation: Breast Unit, Department of Surgery, Section of Plastic andReconstructive Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia General Hospital, Via degli Olivi 18, Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rulli
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caracappa
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arcuri
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barberini
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanguinetti
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noya
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pataia
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Covarelli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019928:Breast Implantation; D018427:Breast Implants; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome