Impact of post-operative infection on revision procedures in breast reconstruction: A marketscan database analysis

Esthetic complications, such as capsular contracture and soft-tissue contour defects, hinder the desired outcomes of breast reconstruction. As subclinical infection is a prevailing theory behind capsular contracture, we investigated the effects of post-operative infections on these issues and revision procedures. We conducted a retrospective database study (2007–2021) on breast reconstruction patients from the MarketScan® Databases. Esthetic complications were defined by their associated revision procedures and queried via CPT codes. Severe capsular contracture (Grade 3–4) was defined as requiring capsulotomy or capsulectomy with implant removal or replacement. Moderate and severe soft-tissue defects were determined by the need for fat grafting or breast revision, respectively. Generalized linear models were used, adjusting for comorbidities and surgical factors (p