Targeted Multidisciplinary Continuous Improvement Process Reduces Time to Breast Cancer Surgery with…

Cohort studyAnnals of surgical oncology· Jul 2026

Targeted Multidisciplinary Continuous Improvement Process Reduces Time to Breast Cancer Surgery with Immediate Reconstruction.

Pooja M Varman, Rahul Rangan, Amanda Maggiotto … Zahraa Al-Hilli

Plastic SurgeryCohort studyClinical practiceQ1IF 2.1

Quality improvement initiative reduced time to breast cancer surgery with immediate reconstruction.

Targeted Multidisciplinary Continuous Improvement Process Reduces Time to Breast Cancer Surgery with Immediate Reconstruction.

Pooja M Varman … Zahraa Al-Hilli

Annals of surgical oncology · Jul 2026 · Q1 in Surgery

Background

Breast surgery with immediate breast reconstruction (immediate breast reconstruction) is associated with delays in definitive surgery and adjuvant therapy.

Methods

With metastatic disease, neoadjuvant therapy, or first treatment outside this institution were excluded.

n = 3,324 patients

Results

median wait time for breast cancer surgery with immediate reconstruction was reduced

More results

A total of 3,324 patients met inclusion criteria; 1,100 (33.1%) underwent surgery with immediate breast reconstruction and 2,224 (66.9%) without.

The cohort was predominantly early-stage (82.8% cTis/T1).

More results

The proportion waiting longer than 45 days declined from 67.4 to 27.3% for immediate breast reconstruction and from 40.5 to 22.9% for non-immediate breast reconstruction (both P < 0.001).

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Conclusion · 1 of 2

A targeted multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative meaningfully reduced treatment for breast cancer patients undergoing upfront surgery with immediate breast reconstruction without delaying non-immediate breast reconstruction patients.

Conclusion · 2 of 2

Operating room (OR) alignment was the pivotal intervention, highlighting the importance of system-level coordination between breast and plastic surgery.

Targeted Multidisciplinary Continuous Improvement Process Reduces Time to Breast Cancer Surgery with Immediate Reconstruction.

Targeted Multidisciplinary Continuous Improvement Process Reduces Time to Breast Cancer Surgery with Immediate Reconstruction.

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