What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively compared outcomes of microvascular breast reconstruction in 14 irradiated patients, half of whom received perioperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and half did not.
What They Found
In the non-HBOT group (7 patients), there were 1 Clavien-Dindo grade II, 1 grade IIIa, and 2 grade IIIb post-operative complications. The HBOT group (7 patients) experienced 3 Clavien-Dindo grade I, 1 grade IIIa, and 2 grade IIIb complications, with similar mean operative times between groups.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing breast reconstruction after radiation therapy might benefit from perioperative hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to potentially mitigate complications. This preliminary research suggests HBOT could be a valuable preparatory treatment for those facing secondary autologous reconstruction.
Canadian Relevance
This study has Canadian relevance as one of the authors is Canadian, contributing to the global understanding of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in breast reconstruction.
Study Limitations
This preliminary study is limited by its retrospective design and very small sample size of only 14 patients.