Caviggioli, F., Maione, L., Forcellini, D., Klinger, F., & Klinger, M. (2011). Autologous fat graft in postmastectomy pain syndrome. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 128, 349–352.
To assess the clinical effectiveness of lipoaspirate graft in the treatment of postmastectomy pain syndrome
At baseline (prior to autologous fat grafting) and after treatment, pain was measured using a visual analog scale, and analgesic and drug intake were recorded. A nontreatment control group completed the same measures. At one year, measures were repeated in both groups.
The study was a prospective, longitudinal intervention with experimental and control groups.
In the treatment group, there was a decrease in pain (p < 0.0005). The authors noted that 28 of 34 patients stopped their analgesic therapy at 13 months.
More research is needed to determine if autologous fat grafts will benefit women with postmastectomy pain, but this may be a promising area of study.