Previous studies have shown that 6.1% of cancer patients undergoing postmastectomy breast reconstruction are over the age of 60. However, the effect of increasing age on postoperative complications remains unclear. A recent study has evaluated this impact by analyzing postoperative outcomes in 4,730 patients who underwent either autologous or implant-based breast reconstruction. The study revealed that older age was linked to a higher risk of complications, including mastectomy skin flap/nipple necrosis, infection, and seroma.
Notably, older women reported lower satisfaction with the appearance of their reconstructed breasts but experienced better psychosocial well-being. Furthermore, older age was not found to affect the physical well-being of the chest or sexual well-being. These findings highlight the impact of age on breast reconstruction outcomes and suggest that surgeons should…
