title: African-American women have equivalent outcomes following autologous free flap breast reconstruction despite greater preoperative risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Disparities along racial and ethnic lines exist in breast cancer treatment and reconstruction. This study compares preoperative characteristics among female breast cancer patients who received autologous breast reconstruction to determine if race affects clinical outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women receiving autologous breast reconstruction at a single institution from 2005 to 2011 were identified within a prospectively maintained database. Preoperative risk factors and rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality were assessed with respect to race.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African-American patients had significantly higher rates of preoperative comorbidities than Caucasian patients. Despite the heightened preoperative risk factors, postoperative complications did not significantly differ between racial categories.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the alleviation of healthcare disparities remains a focus of healthcare reform, these findings are beneficial in further educating African-American breast cancer patients and their providers of the safe and viable option of autologous tissue transfer for breast reconstruction.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. Electronic address: paris.butler@uphs.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Paris D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Jonas A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Suhail
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanchwala
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Liza C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Health System, 10 Penn Tower, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Serletti
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D044465:White People
keywords: Breast reconstruction racial demographics; Free flap breast reconstruction; Health care disparity; Minority breast cancer patients