The Satisfaction and Quality of Life of Patients After Breast Reconstruction: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study Comparing Immediate, Delayed, and Nonreconstructive Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Breast reconstruction following mastectomy can be performed through various surgical techniques that prioritize the patient's safety and quality of life. Plastic surgeons are trained to choose the most appropriate surgical approach based on the individual patient's needs and medical history. The safety of the patient is always the primary concern, followed by considerations such as aesthetic outcomes and long-term health implications. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess and document patients' satisfaction and quality of life after breast reconstruction across Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional multicenter study among female patients who underwent mastectomy with or without breast reconstruction between 2015 and 2022. Two hundred eighty patients participated in this study through a call-based Arabic version of the BREAST-Q questionnaire to analyze the quality of their lives and satisfaction. RESULTS: Our results showed that patients who underwent delayed reconstruction had lower satisfaction than those who underwent immediate reconstruction. The average BREAST-Q score was lower in patients who used tissue expanders than those with implant-based reconstruction, autologous reconstruction, or combined approaches. Patients who underwent simple mastectomy had lower satisfaction (M = 66.1) than those who had a skin-sparing mastectomy (M = 71.1) and/or nipple-sparing mastectomy (M = 72.6). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective multicenter study observed a significant association between the time of the reconstructive surgery and patient's satisfaction; patients who underwent immediate reconstruction had higher satisfaction rate. Lower satisfaction rate was associated with tissue expander breast reconstruction. There is a significant association between satisfaction rate and smoking history.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on the Patterns and Characteristics of Plastic Surgery Practice: A Retrospective Comparative Study of Before and During the Pandemic.

Background Plastic surgery practices have changed drastically during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, as most non-elective surgeries were deferred owing to the high presumed risk of infection transmission. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the patterns and characteristics of plastic surgery in an academic medical city. Methods This retrospective comparative study was conducted at King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. We reviewed data from patient medical records during the pandemic period (from March 2, 2020, to December 31, 2020) and the corresponding pre-pandemic period, defined as the same timeframe in the preceding year (from March 2, 2019, to December 31, 2019). Results The total number of admitted patients in the pre-pandemic period was 479 and in the during-pandemic period was 254, indicating a 46.97% reduction in admission frequency. The median length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in 2020 than in 2019 (1.62 ± 1.74 days versus 2.13 ± 4.18, respectively, p = 0.011). The during-pandemic period was characterized by significantly higher frequencies of urgent procedures (9.8% versus 5.4% in 2020 and 2019, respectively, p = 0.025) and lower frequencies of elective procedures (90.2% vs. 94.4% in 2020 and 2019, respectively, p = 0.035) than the pre-pandemic period. Conclusion The number of plastic surgeries performed has decreased since the onset of the pandemic. However, the impact of the pandemic on plastic surgery practices remains unclear. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of this pandemic on patient outcomes.