Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy and Infection Risk after Immediate Breast Reconstruction.

Abstract

Background: Wound complications are known to occur after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), especially in procedures involving a periareolar incision. We sought to determine the independent risk of infection and overall wound complications associated with NSM vs skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) in a contemporary cohort of women undergoing immediate implant reconstruction.

Study design: We identified 352 women 21 years of age or older undergoing mastectomy and immediate implant reconstruction from September 2021 to December 2022 using electronic health records from 2 hospitals. The relative risk (RR) of surgical site infection (SSI) and of serious wound complication (infection or noninfectious wound complication [NIWC; dehiscence or tissue necrosis] requiring surgical treatment in the operating room) within 180 days after surgery associated with NSM vs SSM was determined using a modified Poisson regression model, controlling for established risk factors for SSI.

Results: NSM was performed in 128 women (36.4%), most commonly via an inframammary fold incision (73.4%). SSI occurred in 49 (13.9%) women within 180 days after surgery, whereas 70 (19.9%) women developed an SSI or NIWC. Although the incidence of SSI and the composite SSI/NIWC outcomes was similar after NSM vs SSM (14.8% vs 13.4% and 21.1% vs 19.2%, respectively); in multivariable analysis, NSM was associated with increased risk of both SSI (RR 2.13, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.59) and SSI/NIWC (RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.40 to 3.43).

Conclusions: NSM was associated with increased risk of both SSI and NIWCs requiring surgical treatment after controlling for other established risk factors, despite uncommon use in this cohort of a periaerolar incision. This information should be communicated to women at the time of presurgical counseling to facilitate shared decision-making.