Breast Reconstruction in Older Patients Linked to Greater Efficiency, shorter operative time: Study

A new study published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery showed that older patients undergoing breast reconstruction tend to have shorter operative times and quicker reconstruction completion compared to younger patients. This may be due to increased patient motivation, fewer aesthetic concerns, or surgeons' efforts to reduce anesthesia duration in this age group.

Breast cancer treatment is important because it may save lives, improve quality of life, and lessen the effects of this common and sometimes fatal illness. Enhancing the quality of life for survivors is becoming more and more important as breast cancer survival rates rise, and breast reconstruction is a key component of this effort. Even though recent research suggests that age shouldn't be a deterrent to breast reconstruction following a mastectomy, older women's use rates are still disproportionately low.

Although reconstruction is performed on over half of mastectomy patients, less than 10% of these individuals are older than 60. Older patients are less likely to use breast reconstruction, even if results and satisfaction are comparable across age groups. Therefore, in order to determine the variables causing this gap, Jacquelyn Roth and team carried out this study to look at age-related disparities in care schedules and surgical length.

From 2017 to 2023, information on individuals undergoing breast reconstruction was gathered. The duration of index and aggregate procedures, the time between the diagnosis of breast cancer and the consultation for plastic surgery (PS), the index reconstructive surgery, and the final reconstructive treatment were among the outcomes. Both absolute age and age-quartile mediated differences in outcomes were examined using multivariate regression.

Q1 (15.8–44.2 years, mean=38, n=415), Q2 (44.2–52.1, mean=48; n=415), Q3 (52.1–60.6, mean=56; n=416), and Q4 (60.6–85.4, mean=67; n=413) were the age-based quartiles (Q) into which 1659 patients were separated. Comorbidity loads, reconstruction modality, and insurance type varied substantially among quartiles, with Q4 patients having the largest burdens.

According to multivariate regression, shorter index (β=−0.002, P=0.019) and aggregate (β=−0.002, P=0.005) procedure durations were predicted by increasing age. In terms of clinical timescales, shorter timeframes between diagnosis and ultimate surgery were predicted by increasing age (β = -0.006, p = 0.013).

When compared to Q1 patients, Q2 (β = -0.263, p = 0.046) and Q4 (β = -0.625, p = 0.021) patients had shorter time between diagnosis and PS consult. Overall, when compared to younger patients, older individuals having breast reconstruction had shorter operating times and faster reconstruction completion times.

Source:

Roth, J., Godek, M., Yu, B., Fung, E., & Taub, P. J. (2025). Older age may predict expedited care for motivated breast reconstruction patients. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery: JPRAS, 106, 416–425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2025.05.031