Physical side-effects following breast reconstructive surgery impact physical activity and function
Menée en Australie auprès de 231 patientes atteintes d’un cancer du sein, cette étude analyse les effets d’une chirurgie mammaire reconstructrice sur les fonctions physiques et le niveau d'activité
Résumé en anglais
Purpose : To investigate the incidence and severity of physical side-effects experienced by women following breast reconstructive surgery and the effect of these side-effects on physical activity and function. Methods : Two hundred and thirty-one Australian women (55 years SD 6.5) who had previously had breast reconstruction surgery retrospectively self-reported the incidence and severity of eight physical side-effects and the perceived effect of these side effects on six physical functions, at three time points after their surgery. The frequency of the combined incidence/severity scores and their impact at the three time points were tabulated and compared using Chi-squared tests. A general linear regression was used to identify characteristics associated with moderate–very high (??5/10) combined incidence/severity scores. Results : At 6 months following surgery, approximately 50% of respondents reported moderate to very high incidence/severity scores for physical side-effects across multiple body regions, which were perceived to limit their physical function and activity levels. The highest incidence/severity scores were associated with the following: (i) pre-existing physical problems before surgery, (ii) post-operative complications (seroma, infection, necrosis), and (iii) autologous rather than implant-based reconstructions. Conclusion : A large percentage of women reported moderate to severe physical side-effects across multiple body regions following breast reconstructive surgery. These side-effects were perceived to negatively impact both physical function and activity. Early intervention, education and treatment are recommended to alleviate these issues and minimise their negative impact.
