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Laustsen-Kiel et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2024;11:17 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2024.32 Page 11 of 18

likely factors impacting the advent of BCRL. Recent studies suggest that breast reconstruction may
contribute to lower rates of lymphedema compared to mastectomy alone. The increased awareness of BCRL
should encourage the reporting and publishing of data on this dreaded complication, providing the clinical
and scientific community with the opportunity to perform meta-analyses. Further research, especially
prospective studies with baseline measurements, is needed to fully address the impact of breast
reconstruction treatment modalities on lymphedema, thus providing the breast reconstruction team with an
increased insight into the complexity of lymphedema.

DECLARATIONS
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Professor Andreas Hougaard Laustsen-Kiel for English proofreading.

Authors’ contributions
Contributed substantially to the study’s conception and design: Laustsen-Kiel CM, Hansen L, Lauritzen E,
Damsgaard TE
Wrote the main manuscript, and performed data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation: Laustsen-Kiel
CM, Hansen L
Read, critically appraised, and approved the final manuscript: Laustsen-Kiel CM, Hansen L, Lauritzen E,
Damsgaard TE

Availability of data and materials
Not applicable.

Financial support and sponsorship
This work was supported by the Vissing Foundation, grant number: 519140 AHO/LAX.

Conflicts of interest
All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Tine Engberg Damsgaard is an Editorial Board
member of the journal Plastic and Aesthetic Research. AI and AI-assisted technologies have been used in the
writing process of the manuscript.

Ethical approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.

Consent for publication
Written permission was obtained from the patient for the use of photographs.

Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024.

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