Innovations in Microsurgical Techniques for Breast Cancer Reconstruction

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Methods and Technologies Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 272

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
Interests: autologous breast reconstruction; lymphedema; patient-reported outcomes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
Interests: alternative flaps; DIEP flap; autologous breast reconstruction; PAP flaps; LAP flaps

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Breast cancer is the leading cancer in women, affecting close to 30% of women in their lifetime. Surgical management of breast cancer is highly effective but can result in scars, cosmetic deformities, or an absence of breast. Not surprisingly, these consequences can greatly affect the psychosocial well-being of women. Breast reconstruction aims to address these effects and has been shown to improve patient outcomes and quality of life following ablative surgery for breast cancer. The options include oncoplastic techniques, implant-based reconstructions, autologous reconstruction, or a combination of the above.

While the choice of reconstructive type is a personal one, autologous reconstruction has been shown to provide a more natural reconstruction that lasts forever and is associated with higher patient satisfaction and a lower cost than implants. Because of this, there has been an increasing focus on autologous breast reconstruction over the past several decades. Advances in technology as well as our understanding of anatomy and blood supply have concurrently improved our outcomes and limited the morbidity associated with breast reconstruction. It is to these innovations and ones that are currently being explored/developed that we have dedicated this Special Issue on “Innovations in Microsurgical Techniques for Breast Cancer Reconstruction”. Our focus will be on showing the evolution of microsurgical breast reconstruction through innovation to its current state of the art. We hope to show the transition from working towards a successful reconstruction to one that is also esthetically pleasing, sensate, and functionally conscious.

Dr. Babak J. Mehrara
Dr. Robert J. Allen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breast reconstruction
  • autologous breast reconstruction
  • DIEP flap
  • robotic DIEP flap
  • sensibility
  • alternative flaps
  • post-mastectomy pain
  • PAP flap
  • LAP flap
  • GAP flap
  • LTP flap
  • perforator flap
  • latissimus flap
  • fat grafting
  • nerve repair

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

11 pages, 1150 KB  
Article
Characterizing Trends of Lymphedema After Axillary Lymph Node Dissection with and Without Immediate Lymphatic Reconstruction
by Kella L. Vangsness, Andre-Philippe Sam, Jeff Chang, Yash A. Mehta, Michael W. Chu, Mouchammed Agko and Antoine L. Carré
Cancers 2025, 17(18), 2964; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17182964 - 10 Sep 2025
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a complication of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) may help to decrease lymphedema after ALND by creating lymphatic bypasses. This retrospective single-institution study aimed to compare lymphedema in patients undergoing ALND [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a complication of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) may help to decrease lymphedema after ALND by creating lymphatic bypasses. This retrospective single-institution study aimed to compare lymphedema in patients undergoing ALND with and without ILR. Materials and Methods: Bioimpedance and limb measurements determined the presence of BCRL. The categorical data that were collected and analyzed included BMI, comorbidities, BCRL onset, and number of lymphatic bypasses. Pearson’s chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with the onset of lymphedema. An odds ratio compared the incidence of BCRL with and without ILR. Results: In total, 186 patients underwent ALND, 44 (24%) with ILR and 142 (76%) without. The mean number of bypasses during ILRs created was 3.54. The odds of developing lymphedema with ILR were 64% lower than for ALND alone. ILR patients who developed BCRL had a mean onset of 543 days post-operatively versus 389 days in the control group. Age, ethnicity, BMI, and bypass amount had no significant influence on lymphedema development. Conclusions: ILR was associated with lower rates of BCRL after ALND. Patients who developed lymphedema despite undergoing ILR did so 8 months later than the controls. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop