The following is a summary of “Examining the relationship between severe persistent mental illness and surgical outcomes in women undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer,” published in the JULY 2023 issue of Surgery by Deshpande, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to investigate the association between severe persistent mental illness (SPMI) and surgical outcomes following mastectomy for breast cancer. Using data from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2018), breast cancer patients with SPMI were identified and matched with patients without SPMI using propensity score matching. Demographics and outcomes were compared using multivariate analysis, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and conditional logistic regression.

The study included 670 patients, of which 536 had no SPMI, and 134 had SPMI. Patients with SPMI were more likely to undergo bilateral mastectomy (53% vs. 42.7%, P = 0.033) and less likely to receive breast reconstruction (P < 0.001). Additionally, SPMI was associated with a longer hospital stay (4 days vs. 2 days, P < 0.001) and an increased risk of post-procedural infection and sepsis (OR 2.909).

Severe persistent mental illness was linked to a higher likelihood of bilateral mastectomy, an extended hospital stay, and an increased risk of post-procedural infection and sepsis after mastectomy for breast cancer. The findings highlighted the importance of using standardized screening tools to identify SPMI in breast cancer patients and implementing appropriate perioperative management strategies.

Source: americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(22)00827-3/fulltext