Effectiveness of 1-Stage Immediate Breast Reconstruction with Implants: From the Perspective of Medical Costs

Abstract

 Introduction: The burden of the medical costs and hospitalization period of 1-stage immediate breast reconstruction with implants remains unclear. We investigated and examined them from the viewpoint of patient burden.
 Method: We investigated the medical costs of hospitalization for 13 cases of 1-stage immediate breast reconstruction with implants (P1) and 10 cases of 2-stage immediate breast reconstruction (P2).
 Results: P1 medical costs of hospitalization were 1,067,732 yen, and those of P2 were 1,681,579 yen. The respective hospitalization periods were 9.5 days and 18.0 days.
 Discussion: A difference of about 610,000 yen was found between P1 and P2 in inpatient medical costs, with P1 constituting a smaller burden for patients. On the other hand, the drawbacks of P1 in terms of plastic surgery and for medical institutions, such as the reduced price of reconstruction cost for immediate breast reconstruction, were also clarified.
 Conclusion: When P1 and P2 were compared, P1 was found to require lower inpatient and outpatient medical costs as well as a shorter hospitalization period. However, current restrictions on the use of acellular dermal matrices and the lower reconstruction cost in P1 remain obstacles.