Time to Final Breast Reconstruction

The Juniper team contributed to an article published in JPRAS, The Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery.

Based on research performed by Juniper's founder, Dr. Sarmiento, during his postdoctoral fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital, this study delves into an important component of the post-mastectomy journey for women with breast cancer.

Here are the key insights:

• Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide.

• Many women with breast cancer undergo mastectomy (removal of breast tissue) as part of their treatment.

• After mastectomy, reconstructive surgery to recreate the breast is an option for many women, but not everyone who may be eligible gets it.

  
  

Why? There are many factors involved. Some are clinical, but some are socioeconomic.

And while it's inevitable to delay reconstructive surgery in some cases, many delays are due to inadequate counseling, limited access to care, and demographic factors. For example, in our study, African-Americans experienced longer average delays to final reconstruction.

Importantly, our research found that quality of life outcomes decrease for each day of delay in reconstruction.

Timely access to reconstructive surgery can therefore significantly improve quality of life for breast cancer survivors. Addressing barriers—through better counseling, improved access, and strong provider-patient communication—can make a real difference.

Read the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1748681525003377?dgcid=author