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Preoperative CT angiogram may reduce abdominal complications in breast reconstruction

CT angiogram before abdominal tissue breast reconstruction may predict bulge/hernia, according to recent findings.

In the retrospective matched case control study, researchers examined whether pre-operative CT angiogram-derived measurements of abdominal core muscles correlated with complications in the abdominal wall after abdominal tissue breast reconstruction.

The study included 589 patients accrued at a single institution during January 2011 through June 2015, along with 70 matched controls.

Symptomatic bulges/hernias were reported in 5.9% of the study population. Decreased area of rectus abdominus muscle as determined by CT angiogram was more common in the study group compared with controls (OR = 0.18; P < .01), according to results of a multivariable analysis. The analysis also showed that the study group was more likely than controls to have increased inter-rectus abdominus distance (OR = 1.14; P < .01) on CT angiogram. Both of these outcomes were significant risk factors for bulge/hernia in the postoperative setting. – by Rob Volansky

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.