Inferior pedicle mammoplasty vs round block technique for early-stage upper inner quadrant breast cancer

Background
Breast-conserving treatment has become the standard treatment in early breast cancer; its goal is to provide a treatment as effective as mastectomy with the added benefit of a preserved breast. However, it is sometimes difficult to achieve good cosmetic results, particularly in patients with breast cancer located in the upper inner quadrant, for which the traditional conservative surgery results in a deformed breast.
Aim
The aim was to compare prospectively the oncoplastic outcome of lower pedicle mammoplasty and round block techniques for early-stage breast cancers in the upper inner quadrant.
Patients and methods
This is a prospective, randomized study on 20 female patients who were diagnosed in the upper inner quadrant to have early breast cancer and are candidates for oncoplastic breast surgery. The study was conducted at Ain Shams University Hospitals. Approval of the Ethics Committee and written informed consent from all participants were obtained. Patient selection was achieved through a number of inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Results
There is a significant difference between the two groups. Inferior pedicle mammoplasty needs longer operative time and postoperative hospital stay and drainage days with more intraoperative blood loss in comparison to the round block technique. As regards postoperative complications, inferior pedicle mammoplasty has more wound complications such as wound infection and dehiscence than the round block technique.
Conclusion
Early breast cancer patients with lesions in the upper inner quadrant are candidate for either inferior pedicle mammoplasty or round-block technique. Round-block technique is safer for them, as morbidity is lower, better cosmoses, no need for contralateral summarization, and fewer complications, so no delay in radiotherapy and inferior pedicle mammoplasty needs more surgeon experience.