Article downloads are temporarily unavailable, affecting member access to articles and purchased articles. Thank you for your patience. For immediate assistance contact ONS
cancel
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)
Intervention Characteristics/Basic Study Process
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.
Sample Characteristics
N = 92
MEAN AGE = 52.5 years (range = 33–68 years)
FEMALES: 100%
KEY DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Patients with breast cancer and PMPS; none had chemotherapy, local recurrence, or previous breast surgery other than the initial lumpectomy
Setting
SITE: Single site
SETTING TYPE: Outpatient
LOCATION: Italy
Phase of Care and Clinical Applications
PHASE OF CARE: Active antitumor treatment
Study Design
Prospective trial
Measurement Instruments/Methods
Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain
Results
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).
Conclusions
Autologous fat grafting may have reduced PMPS.
Limitations
Small sample (< 100)
Risk of bias (no blinding)
Risk of bias (no random assignment)
Measurement/methods not well described
Other limitations/explanation: It was not clear if the VAS measurement was of worst pain, average pain, etc., or over what time period it was considered.
Nursing Implications
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.