The effect of post mastectomy radiation therapy on breast reconstruction with and without acellular dermal matrix: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND: The widespread implementation of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) has broadened the reconstructive repertoire for alloplastic breast reconstruction. ADM’s role in the context of postoperative radiation therapy remains unclear. The present review will evaluate whether ADM reduces complication rates in patients undergoing post-mastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT). METHODS: A healthcare librarian assisted in performing a search strategy of electronic databases MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE, and CENTRAL. A combination of the keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MESH) to describe the various commercially available ADMs and terms for radiation therapy will be used. The search strategy will identify patients undergoing postoperative radiation following implant-based breast reconstruction and compare outcomes between those with and without ADM. Extracted data will include patient demographics, intraoperative data, and postoperative complications. Data on patient satisfaction and resource utilization will also be extracted if available. The references of selected works will be reviewed for additional studies meeting study criteria. Only peer-reviewed papers written in English will be included. The study data will be assessed for risk of bias and heterogeneity. Providing that sufficient studies can be identified, a meta-analysis will be performed. This review has been registered with PROSPERO (CRD42017056495). CONCLUSIONS: To date, the short- and long-term performance of ADM in the context of postoperative radiation remains unclear. The objective of the present review will be to critically evaluate the literature with the intention of improving postoperative outcomes in the context of mastectomy and radiation. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s13643-019-0958-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.