Abstract 106P
Background
Acellular Dermal Matrices (ADMs) have become an integral part of breast reconstruction. An additional level of informed consent may hinge on personal and cultural beliefs, especially concerning the source matrix. This study seeks to evaluate socio-cultural factors influencing patient decisions on ADM use, with the end goal of enhancing practice through better-informed consent and comprehension of patient values.
Methods
A survey of adult women in the U.S. and India was conducted via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Chi-squared tests were used to compare preferences across dietary and religious groups.
Results
645 complete responses were analyzed, with 12.2% from India and 87.8% from the USA. Predominantly, respondents were White (68.2%) or Asian (26.2%), with major religious affiliations being Christianity (68.4%) and Hinduism (23.7%). The most common dietary preferences were Vegetarian (36.2%), Omnivorous (27.9%), and Vegan (21.3%). Upon disclosing the composition of ADMs, 49 (6.5%) individuals changed their answers and opted against Human Cadaveric ADM; 82 (10.8%) against Bovine-derived ADM; 101 (13.3%) against Porcine-derived ADM; and 73 (9.6%) against Ovine-derived ADM. Both religion and diet type significantly impacted individuals' decisions to forgo ADM usage upon understanding its composition (P <0.001), and also notably influenced their choices of ADM types (P = 0.024).
Conclusions
Disclosing ADM’s origin significantly impacted patient choices, and in some cases, shifted the patient’s opinion of potential choice. Thorough counseling of surgical preferences is a crucial component of patient care. The findings advocate for the importance of culturally sensitive discussions in improving healthcare equity in our diverse society.
Legal entity responsible for the study
The authors.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.