Level C· Early human research exploring benefitsCase Report / SeriesEurope PMCOpen access

Breast Reconstruction after a Bilateral Mastectomy Using the BRAVA Expansion System and Fat Grafting

Mestak O., Mestak J., Bohac M., Edriss A., Sukop A.

Case Report / Series, published in Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open (2013) — summary generated from the PubMed abstract.

Open my reading list
Level C· Early human research exploring benefitsEvidence level of this study

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

  • Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
  • Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
  • Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
  • Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
  • Emerging · Emerging topic under active research
Read the A–D evidence level guide

This page is generated from the PubMed record. The Thai description is an automated summary of bibliographic fields and the abstract, not a full translation, and is not medical advice.

Study type
Case Report / Series
Journal
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open (2013)
Reported sample size
—
Source database
Europe PMC
PMID
25289266
PMCID
PMC4186296
DOI
10.1097/gox.0000000000000022
Citations
12

Abstract (original English)

Summary Fat graft breast reconstruction following a mastectomy is always limited by the size of the skin envelope, which affects the amount of graft that can be injected in 1 session. Because the fat graft naturally resorbs in all patients, several sessions of fat grafting are necessary. BRAVA's negative pressure causes a "reverse" expansion of the skin envelope, thus permitting more space for the fat graft. This allows decreasing number of required procedures for an adequate breast reconstruction. We operated on a 38-year-old patient 4 years after bilateral mastectomy without irradiation for breast cancer. Before the procedure, the patient was instructed to wear the BRAVA system for 12 hours daily for 2 months before the first session, at all times between the sessions and for 1 month following the last fat grafting session. We performed 3 fat grafting sessions, as planned. Altogether, we injected 840 cm(3) of fat on the right side and 790 cm(3) of fat on the left side. Four months after the last operation, the patient was very satisfied with her new breasts. The breasts were soft, with good sensation and a natural feel. Using the BRAVA external expansion system for the enhancement of fat grafting is a suitable technique for breast reconstruction after a mastectomy. This technique produces soft and natural feeling breasts in fewer operative sessions, with a minimal risk of com

What this study does not prove

  • • This study does not prove SVF is an approved treatment or a replacement for standard care.
  • • Without an adequate control group, treatment effects cannot be separated from other factors.

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

How we grade evidence

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.