Background: Breast reconstruction has a well-documented positive impact on the psychosocial well-being of women recovering from breast cancer. Rates of breast cancer diagnoses are rising, and more women are seeking mastectomy as treatment and as prophylaxis.
Methods: Postmastectomy breast reconstruction often begins at the time of mastectomy in coordination with the oncologic breast surgeons. Immediate breast reconstruction increases complication rate (11% vs 4%) and unplanned reoperation rate (7% vs 4%), requiring more personnel and resources used during the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of patient care.
Discussion: In the setting of global pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), breast reconstruction demands a unique and nuanced approach, as most forms of breast reconstruction can occur successfully in a delayed fashion. While this may prolong the overall time until completion of reconstruction, other factors come into play in the setting of a communicable (potentially deadly) illness. Factors that must be considered include allocation of essential resources and protection of patients and families from disease transmission.
Conclusions: Plastic surgeons performing breast reconstruction must take these factors into account when counseling their patients, colleagues, and institutions and be proactive in determining which procedures are time-critical and which should be postponed until the disaster situation has relieved.
Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons.