Breast reconstruction: complication rate and tissue expander type.

BACKGROUND: Limited literature exists regarding complication rates among women undergoing breast reconstruction and the association of these rates with tissue expander types (anatomic, round and Becker). METHODS: A historical cohort study investigated all breast reconstructions performed at Hadassah Medical Center for 140 consecutive women. Analyses were performed using both logistic and Poisson regression multivariate methods. RESULTS: At least one major complication occurred in each of the following groups: anatomic (41%), round (20%), and Becker (11.7%) (p = 0.015). Women reconstructed with anatomic expanders were at increased risk for at least one complication (odds ratio [OR], 3.96; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-13.3; p = 0.026) and an average increase of 331% (95% CI, 102-817%; p = 0.0002) in the number of major complications. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that integrated-valve expanders are associated with more complications than the distant inflation port. The benefits of an anatomic shape may perhaps be better exploited using devices with a distant port.