ArticleArchives of gynecology and obstetrics2020
Immediate versus secondary DIEP flap breast reconstruction: a multicenter outcome study.
Article in Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: An Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario) Clinical Practice Guideline.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Guideline
- Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Pooled it
- Outcomes and recurrence trends after skin-sparing mastectomy and immediate DIEP flap reconstruction: A single-centre analysis.JPRAS open · 2026Article
- PAP Versus DIEP Flap Breast Reconstruction: Current Evidence and the Unresolved Question of Timing and Oncologic Safety-A Narrative Review.Medical sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Comparing Immediate Breast Reconstruction Rates in Rural and Urban Populations: A Global Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Comparer les taux de reconstruction mammaire immédiate dans les populations rurales et urbaines : une analyse systématique et méta-analyse globales.Plastic surgery (Oakville, Ont.) · 2026Review
- Case Report: Venous crossover bypass to the contralateral internal mammary vein to restore venous outflow in revision surgery in autologous free flap breast reconstruction.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Article
- Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Delivery of Breast Reconstructive Services and Outcomes.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025Article
- Moving Toward the Outpatient DIEP Flap: Factors Influencing Early Discharge.Plastic and reconstructive surgery · 2025Article
- Impact of Immediate Unilateral Breast Reconstruction with Abdominal Flaps on Quality of Life: A Single-Center Prospective Interventional Study in Egypt.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Article
- Outcomes and Current State of Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Surgery in Peru and Mexico.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2025Article
- Evaluation of Complications Following Nipple Areola Sparing Mastectomy with Immediate Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction in Patients with Large Ptotic Breasts.World journal of plastic surgery · 2025Article
- "Spin" in Observational Studies in Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction: A Systematic Review.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2023Article
- Complications of Immediate versus Delayed DIEP Reconstruction: A Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies.Cancers · 2022Review
- Overall Complication Rates of DIEP Flap Breast Reconstructions in Germany-A Multi-Center Analysis Based on the DGPRÄC Prospective National Online Registry for Microsurgical Breast Reconstructions.Journal of clinical medicine · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeImmediate breast reconstruction (IBR) at the time of mastectomy is gaining popularity, as studies show no negative impact on recurrence or patient survival, but better aesthetic outcome, less psychological distress and lower treatment costs. Using the largest database available in Europe, the presented study compared outcomes and complications of IBR vs. delayed breast reconstruction (DBR).
methods3926 female patients underwent 4577 free DIEP-flap breast reconstructions after malignancies in 22 different German breast cancer centers. The cases were divided into two groups according to the time of reconstruction: an IBR and a DBR group. Surgical complications were accounted for and the groups were then compared.
resultsOverall, the rate of partial-(1.0 versus 1.2 percent of cases; p = 0.706) and total flap loss (2.3 versus 1.9 percent of cases; p = 0.516) showed no significant difference between the groups. The rate of revision surgery was slightly, but significantly lower in the IBR group (7.7 versus 9.8 percent; p = 0.039). Postoperative mobilization was commenced significantly earlier in the IBR group (mobilization on postoperative day 1: 82.1 versus 68.7 percent; p < 0.001), and concordantly the mean length of hospital stay was significantly shorter (7.3 (SD3.7) versus 8.9 (SD13.0) days; p < 0.001).
conclusionIBR is feasible and cannot be considered a risk factor for complications or flap outcome. Our results support the current trend towards an increasing number of IBR. Especially in times of economic pressure in health care, the importance of a decrease of hospitalization cannot be overemphasized.
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