When it comes to breast reconstruction surgery, age is nothing but a number – for the most part. A recent study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, found that older women do not have an increased overall risk of complications from breast reconstruction after mastectomy.
“Older patients should be counseled that their age does not confer an increased risk of complications after implant-based post-mastectomy breast reconstruction,” explains surgeon Mark Sisco, MD. “However the results do suggest that women 65 or older are at increased risk of blood clot-related complications after tissue-based breast reconstruction.”
In other words, reconstructions using implants yielded safer results for women over 65 than those that use a woman’s own tissues.
“Older women considering implant-based reconstruction should be assured that their age is not a factor in determining the risk of complications,” the study concluded.
