COVID-19 has changed societal norms and continues to impact our health care system and economy in ways that have never been documented before. The realm of plastic surgery is no exception to this threat and uncertainty. In addition to complete cessation of cosmetic and most elective surgeries, we have also noticed an interesting trend in patients undergoing breast cancer care at our own institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients previously scheduled for mastectomy with breast reconstruction were converted to breast conservation therapy (BCT) during the pandemic. At our institution during the months of August, September, and October of 2019, 112 (41%) patients underwent mastectomies, whereas 163 (59%) patients were elected to undergo BCT. During the same period, 93 patients had breast reconstruction surgery. In contrast, during the months of March, April, and May of 2020, when COVID-19 was at its peak, of the 123 breast cancer patients who underwent surgical intervention, the majority opted for BCT over mastectomy [90 patients (73%) versus 33 (27%) patients]. During the same period, only 13 patients had breast reconstruction.
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