For older women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer, direct-to-implant (DTI) breast reconstruction provides good outcomes in a single-step procedure, while avoiding some of the inconvenience and risks of staged approaches to breast reconstruction, reports a study in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

“The DTI approach is a powerful tool for breast reconstruction in elderly patients,” comments ASPS Member Surgeon Andrea Moreira, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic. The researchers believe the DTI technique may expand the options for older women, who are less likely to undergo breast reconstruction.