Abstract

The future challenge of breast surgery, the so-called oncoplastic approach is reviewed in this article. The authors discuss the most frequently applied surgical techniques as well as their indications. Medline and pubmed search was carried out using the following keywords and cross-references: "oncoplastic breast surgery", "breast reconstruction", "breast conserving surgery" and "reduction mammoplasty". Original and review papers published in English language and their references were included. In the literature surprisingly, a large variety of breast oncoplastic surgical procedures has been described. Although reconstructions with local flaps are relatively easy procedures, proper indications for these are critical in order to improve cosmesis after breast conservation. Applications of pedicled flaps are technically more demanding, and only properly trained oncoplastic breast or plastic surgeons are able to provide the possibly best aesthetic outcome after mastectomy or breast conserving surgery. Finally, carrying out free flap reconstructions after mastectomy should be assigned exclusively to plastic surgeons qualified in microsurgical techniques, and not to surgical oncologists. As conclusions oncoplastic approach will be an integral element of the surgical treatment of breast cancer in the future. Breast oncoplastic training is an interdisciplinary task, which combines surgical oncological management of breast cancers with aesthetic/reconstructive breast surgery.