Trial Information

Outcomes After Perforator Flap Reconstruction for Breast Reconstruction and/or Lymphedema Treatment

Breast cancer is a serious health issue that affects 1 in 8 women. Although numerous
treatments have arisen in recent years to aggressively combat this disease and increase
survivorship, many survivors develop a crippling condition that can result in devastating
physical and psychological impairments. Breast reconstruction by any method may help
recovery psychologically. However, some individuals still report experiencing pain
following their recovery from surgery. Additionally, secondary lymphedema is a common yet
poorly understood complication of breast cancer patients. For those individuals who undergo
axillary lymph node dissection the rates of incidence of lymphedema approach 47%. These
rates tend to increase further for patients who receive irradiation treatment or
mastectomies. Currently there is no known cure for lymphedema. Current treatments include
non-invasive measures as well as surgical interventions. Vascularized lymph node transfer
(VLNTx) is a fairly recent surgical procedure that has shown promising results.

The goal of this research study is to analyze the clinical outcome of subjects who undergo
breast reconstruction with perforator flaps and/or VLNTx using information collected as part
of standard care.

Clinical data will be collected prospectively. All subjects who undergo a surgical procedure
will complete the online persistent postsurgical pain assessment questionnaire.

The BreastQ questionnaire will be completed by patients prior to and after undergoing breast
reconstruction and/or lymphedema treatment.