Maione, L., Vinci, V., Caviggioli, F., Klinger, F., Banzatti, B., Catania, B., . . . Klinger, M. (2014). Autologous fat graft in postmastectomy pain syndrome following breast conservative surgery and radiotherapy. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 38, 528–532.
To evaluate the effectiveness of autologous fat grafting to control pain in patients with persistent postmastectomy pain syndrome (PMPS)
Patients who received lumpectomies and radiation therapy and had severe scar retraction, radiodystrophy, and chronic pain met the definition of PMPS and were considered for the study. Patients who had fat grafting underwent liposuction of the subumbilical area, and the obtained fat was processed and purified. The fat was then injected into the scar area. Study data were obtained at baseline and at one year after the procedure. Patients who had the fat graft procedure were compared to patients who did not receive the procedure.
Prospective trial
Among those who had the fat graft procedure, there was a mean reduction of 3.1 points for pain compared to a mean reduction of 0.9 points in the comparison group (p ≤ 0.005).
Autologous fat grafting may have reduced PMPS.
Persistent pain as a consequence of surgical treatment for breast cancer is a clinical problem for which the general treatment is pain medication. Nurses need to be aware of this syndrome and educate patients about alternative approaches that may be available for management. Additional well-designed research regarding the efficacy of fat grafting for this population is needed.