Does Hybrid Breast Reconstruction Increase Cancer Recurrence?

If you have a hybrid reconstruction — meaning a flap and an implant — are you more likely to have your cancer come back? Absolutely not.

Whether you have a DIEP flap, an implant-based breast reconstruction, or a combination of both, your chance of cancer recurrence should be the same.

The oncology portion of the procedure — what's actually treating your cancer — is the mastectomy. That's the important part from a recurrence standpoint.

During a mastectomy, all the breast tissue is removed. In truth, there are tiny bits left behind in the mastectomy flap. The chance of recurrence is based on that — not the type of reconstruction you choose.

This has actually been studied. Researchers found no difference in recurrence rate whether patients had:

• Implant-based reconstruction
• DIEP flap reconstruction
• No reconstruction at all

It's important to note that DIEP flaps are more commonly used for more aggressive cancers that require more skin and tissue removal than a standard mastectomy. When you control for those factors, there's still no difference in recurrence.

The type of reconstruction you choose should not affect your cancer recurrence rates. You should choose the reconstruction that's best for you, your wishes, and your body — not based on fear of recurrence.

If you're weighing your reconstruction options, talk to your plastic surgeon about whether implant-based, flap-based, or a hybrid approach is the right fit for your anatomy and goals.