Assessment and planning for oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery: a review and a proposed chart

Assessment for oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery (ORBS) can be time-consuming and subjective with a prolonged learning curve. Further, lack of recognition of options may lead to loss of patient choices whether available locally or not. This article reviews and incorporates essential variables into an author-designed chart with components of clinic consultation (“History” and “Examination”) that classify individual cases into one of the three complexities: high, average and low. Based on these complexities, decision-making processes are discussed in order to achieve, safely and realistically, both subjective and objective (anticipated versus achieved) goals of ORBS. This article by summarising literature around common ORBS variables attempts to streamline decision-making process as well as charts out variables to facilitate audit of decision-making and case selection process. Level of Evidence: Not ratable