Rates of Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy Have Stabilized
A study in the December 2024 issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery—the official journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons—reports that the rates of breast reconstruction after mastectomy have stabilized at 32.7%. The study analyzed data on over 1.5 million patients who underwent mastectomy in response to breast cancer from 2005 to 2017. Reconstruction rates increased from 2005 to 2012 across all data sets and stabilized from 2013 to 2017. This stabilization included a decrease in racial and insurance-based disparities as they relate to breast reconstruction. The authors of the study believe that more research is required to identify the cause of the stabilization, which they believe are likely multifactorial.
Capsulectomy Terminology and Management Consensus Statement
The Breast Surgery Collaborative Community released a consensus statement on capsulectomy terminology and management. This statement aims to resolve controversy concerning what needs to be done for patients with implant capsule issues and provide concrete language for use in conversations on this topic. Capsulectomy broadly refers to the removal of the capsule that forms around a breast implant inside the body. The community came together to define each type of capsulectomy and clarify when each is medically indicated. Read on to learn more about the distinctions between en bloc, total intact, total, and partial capsulectomy, including when each procedure is indicated and what capsulectomy means for Breast Implant Illness and BIA ALCL cancer risks.
What Everyone Should Know about Breast Cancer
The American College of Surgeons recently published an article on News Wise with key information that we should all know about breast cancer. This article highlights a new study that suggests that cancer diagnoses in people under 50 are on the rise across the board. It also delves into the importance of early cancer education, particularly breast cancer education, and the challenges that come with informed decision making.
Post-Mastectomy Pain Syndrome: What Patients Need to Know
Post-Mastectomy Pain Syndrome (PMPS) is an under-discussed, chronic pain condition that more than half of people face after mastectomy or breast surgery. Dr. Jonathan Bank broke down what every patient needs to know about PMPS, including how it can be addressed, in a post for curetoday.com. You can also learn more about PMPS on our site, here.
Survey: Many U.S. Women Lack Basic Information on Life After Mastectomy
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, a national survey found that the majority of breast reconstruction patients lack basic information on life after breast cancer and reconstruction. Over 60-percent are not aware that it is possible to restore breast sensation, more than 70-percent are not sure who bears the financial responsibility for breast reconstruction, and about 30-percent are unprepared for the emotional impacts of mastectomy and reconstruction.
CMS Coding October 2023 Update
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid reversed a 2022 plan to eliminate a trio of medical billing codes that facilitated DIEP flap breast reconstruction coverage. The CMS cited substantial written and verbal backlash and criticism as its motivation to reconsider the plan. That backlash came as the result of a grassroots effort by patients and physicians to preserve access to DIEP flap breast reconstruction for patients at all incomes. CBS and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reported on the reversal recently.
- After backlash, feds cancel plan that risked limiting breast reconstruction options after cancer
- CMS to maintain S-codes for autologous breast reconstruction
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS’) Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) Level II Final Coding, Benefit Category and Payment Determinations
What Women Want: Study Unravels Choices about Breast Reconstruction
Duke University School of Medicine recently led a study that found that many mastectomy patients are unsatisfied with their breast reconstruction. The study and the university’s coverage of its findings highlight gaps in patient education when it comes to breast reconstruction. Patients are unclear on the risks associated with natural tissue reconstruction procedures, like DIEP flap breast reconstruction. These patients have trouble making informed, personalized care decisions with limited information. Gaps in breast reconstruction education among friends, family, and even physicians compound this already challenging decision-making process.