Table 8.
Somatosensory Function.
| Author, Year |
Sample Size (n) |
Instrument | Type of Study |
Recon. (All) |
Compared Reconstruction vs. No Reconstruction |
Overall Finding |
Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gahm, 2007 |
24 | Ad hoc | CS | Y | N | ± | 80% and 69% had sensitivity present to touch and temperature respectively. 66% had spontaneous/stimulus evoked discomfort. |
| Gahm, 2010 |
59 | Ad hoc | CS | Y | N | - | 87% of patients experienced pain or discomfort in breasts. |
| Brandberg, 2012 |
91 | Ad hoc | PC | Y | N | - | 73% of patients reported negative sensibility of breasts at 6 months and 1 year post reconstruction. |
| Gahm, 2013 |
46 | Ad hoc | CS | Y | N | + | Approximately 6%, 27%, 27% and 11% of breasts did not have any sensation at all to touch, cold, heat and pain respectively. |
CS: Case Series. PC: Prospective Cohort. Recon.: Reconstruction. Y: Yes. N: No
+ More than 50% positive results or no significant negative changes over time.
− Less than 50% positive results or no significant positive changes over time.
± Mixed results.