The Role of the Vertical Scar Technique in Oncoplastic Surgery

Abstract

The loss of a breast or part of it can be a major impairment to a woman’s body image and feeling of attractiveness. Therefore, reconstructive surgery has developed techniques that provide good aesthetic results. The plastic surgeon, who is involved in breast reconstruction after breast cancer, should have a comprehensive understanding of the biology, natural history, risk factors, and treatment of breast cancer. Psychological factors associated with cancer compound those that come into play following any body deformity, and these must be taken into account by the surgeon. Therefore, breast-conservative surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy has become the preferred locoregional treatment for patients with early-stage breast cancer. With the need to preserve the breast shape and the aesthetic outcome, oncoplastic surgery (OPS) has emerged as a new surgical approach [1–4]. The success of OPS relies on the safe oncological resection of the tumor with wide margins and immediate breast reshaping with consideration of the tumor location and resection area as well as the initial breast size and shape [5, 6]. Oncoplastic procedures require a working knowledge of the full range of aesthetic surgical procedures of the breast as well as the spectrum of breast reconstruction techniques. The ultimate goal of the reconstructive procedure is to achieve good aesthetic, long-lasting results with adequate symmetry.