Kansas surgeons' attitudes toward immediate breast reconstruction: a statewide survey.

BACKGROUND

Immediate reconstruction following mastectomy provides patients the benefit of emerging from their operation with a reconstructed breast mound.

METHODS

A survey was distributed to 197 Kansas surgeons to determine the frequency of breast reconstruction and to identify factors that may influence them to refer patients for immediate reconstruction.

RESULTS

A response of 78.2% was obtained. Ten percent of mastectomy patients had breast reconstruction. Significant findings were that younger surgeons were more likely to discuss reconstruction with all patients and were more likely to preoperatively refer their patients to a plastic surgeon; surgeons in larger communities had more patients who had undergone immediate reconstruction; surgeons who discussed reconstruction with all patients had more patients who underwent immediate reconstruction; and frequency of immediate reconstruction increased along with increased time spent discussing reconstruction preoperatively.

CONCLUSION

Our survey indicated that immediate breast reconstruction was rarely performed; however, when it was, a number of factors were correlated. These included the surgeon's age and practice location, attitude toward reconstruction, and time spent preoperatively with patients.