Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to Improve Autologous Fat Graft Intake in Irradiated Breast

NCT ID: NCT07140198

Last Updated: 2025-08-24

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

16 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-11-30

Study Completion Date

2028-12-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) enhances fat graft survival in lipofilling procedures in irradiated breast cancer patients. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does it improve fat graft survival ? Evaluate safety and tolerability of HBOT in this setting? Researchers will compare patient receiving HBOT to a control group without HBOT to see if.

Sixteen female patients will undergo two autologous fat grafting sessions: one with HBOT and one without, in a randomized sequence. Patients will undergo three MRI during the study to evaluate the fat retention rate.

Detailed Description

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This is a prospective, monocentric, randomized controlled phase II crossover clinical trial designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in improving fat graft retention following autologous fat transfer (AFT) in breast reconstruction for patients with prior radiotherapy.

AFT is widely used in breast reconstruction but is often less effective in irradiated tissues due to reduced vascularization and oxygenation, which compromises graft survival. HBOT, which involves breathing 100% oxygen at 2.5 atmospheres absolute (ATA), has been shown to promote angiogenesis and tissue oxygenation, potentially improving fat graft integration and reducing complications in irradiated tissues.

The study will enroll 16 adult female patients who have undergone radiotherapy as part of their breast cancer treatment and are scheduled to receive two sessions of AFT. Each participant will be randomized to one of two sequences:

* Sequence AB: AFT alone (control) followed by AFT + HBOT (intervention)
* Sequence BA: AFT + HBOT followed by AFT alone HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the fat grafting procedure. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

Primary Objective:

To determine whether HBOT significantly improves fat graft retention in irradiated breast tissue, assessed as the percentage of volume retained (measured by MRI) six months postoperatively.

Secondary Objectives:

* To assess the absolute fat volume retention in milliliters
* To evaluate the safety and tolerability of HBOT in this setting
* To assess the incidence of clinical and radiological complications (e.g., infection, hematoma, oil cysts, liponecrosis) The crossover design minimizes inter-patient variability by allowing each patient to serve as her own control. Randomization occurs immediately after the first AFT session.

The anticipated duration of participation per subject is approximately 12 to 18 months, and the total study duration is estimated at 3 years (from November 2025 to November 2028).

Conditions

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Breast Reconstruction Lipofilling Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

CROSSOVER

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Sequence AB

AFT alone (control) followed by AFT + HBOT (intervention)

Group Type OTHER

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the lipofilling. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

Control

Intervention Type OTHER

Patients in the control group will undergo standard follow-up after the lipofilling without HBOT.

Sequence BA

AFT + HBOT followed by AFT alone

Group Type OTHER

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the lipofilling. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

Control

Intervention Type OTHER

Patients in the control group will undergo standard follow-up after the lipofilling without HBOT.

Interventions

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Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

HBOT will be administered in five sessions (1 on Day 0, 2 on Day 1, 2 on Day 2), beginning immediately after the lipofilling. Each session consists of 100% oxygen inhalation at 2.5 ATA for 90 minutes. Postoperative MRI will be performed six months after each AFT session to assess the volume of retained graft.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Control

Patients in the control group will undergo standard follow-up after the lipofilling without HBOT.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adult (18 y.o. or more) female patients considered for lipofilling following breast reconstruction in an oncological setting which received radiation therapy on the affected breast.
* Ability to provide informed consent, documented by signature

Exclusion Criteria

* Pregnancy or breastfeeding
* Unability to provide informed consent
* Previous enrolment into the current investigation

Contra-indication to HBOT :

* Anamnestically reported spontaneous pneumothorax
* Status post-thoracotomy
* Significant intra-pulmonary lesions (including emphysematous bullae)
* Respiratory function disorders (both obstructive and restrictive syndromes)
* Pregnancy
* Major psychiatric disorders
* Uncontrollable claustrophobic reaction
* Seizures, even if treated and asymptomatic for some time
* Status post-severe traumatic brain injury with neurological deficits and seizures
* Decompensated heart failure
* Recent myocardial infarction (\<6 months) or with persistent hemodynamic sequelae
* Spastic coronary angina
* Cardiac arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, sinus node dysfunction, Lown-Ganong-Levine syndrome
* Cardiac pacemakers with unknown pressure resistance
* Severe bradycardia
* Sinus ostium displacement (acute or chronic)
* Displacement of the auditory canal entrance (acute or chronic)
* Status post-tympanoplasty type I-III \<3 months
* Acute febrile state
* Optic neuritis
* Unstabilized hyperthyroidism

Contra-indication to MRI :

* Non-MRI-compatible pacemaker, cochlear implant, drug-infusion pump or neurostimulator.
* Metallic foreign body in critical area (eye, brain, etc.)
* Ferromagnetic vascular surgical clips of older generation, e.g., for intracranial aneurysm repair.
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

FEMALE

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University Hospital, Geneva

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Dominik André-Lévigne

Doctor

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Daniel F Kalbermatten, MD, PhD

Role: STUDY_CHAIR

Geneva University Hospitals, Plastic surgery division

Central Contacts

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Dominik André-Lévigne, MD, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+41 (0)22 372 79 97

Matteo Scampa, MD

Role: CONTACT

+41 (0)79 55 38 542

References

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Strong AL, Cederna PS, Rubin JP, Coleman SR, Levi B. The Current State of Fat Grafting: A Review of Harvesting, Processing, and Injection Techniques. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015 Oct;136(4):897-912. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0000000000001590.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26086386 (View on PubMed)

Andre-Levigne D, Modarressi A, Pignel R, Bochaton-Piallat ML, Pittet-Cuenod B. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes wound repair in ischemic and hyperglycemic conditions, increasing tissue perfusion and collagen deposition. Wound Repair Regen. 2016 Nov;24(6):954-965. doi: 10.1111/wrr.12480. Epub 2016 Oct 18.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27684570 (View on PubMed)

Moen I, Stuhr LE. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and cancer--a review. Target Oncol. 2012 Dec;7(4):233-42. doi: 10.1007/s11523-012-0233-x. Epub 2012 Oct 2.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 23054400 (View on PubMed)

Meier EL, Mink van der Molen DR, Lansdorp CA, Batenburg MCT, van der Leij F, Verkooijen HM, Boonstra O, Hummelink S, Ulrich DJO. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for local late radiation toxicity in breast cancer patients: A systematic review. Breast. 2023 Feb;67:46-54. doi: 10.1016/j.breast.2022.12.009. Epub 2022 Dec 22.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36587606 (View on PubMed)

De Wolde SD, Hulskes RH, Weenink RP, Hollmann MW, Van Hulst RA. The Effects of Hyperbaric Oxygenation on Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Angiogenesis. Biomolecules. 2021 Aug 14;11(8):1210. doi: 10.3390/biom11081210.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34439876 (View on PubMed)

Liang J, Sun X, Yi L, Lv J. Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on the Survival Rate of Autologous Fat Transplantation. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2023 Feb;47(1):423-429. doi: 10.1007/s00266-022-03096-y. Epub 2022 Sep 27.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36168069 (View on PubMed)

El-Sabawi B, Carey JN, Hagopian TM, Sbitany H, Patel KM. Radiation and breast reconstruction: Algorithmic approach and evidence-based outcomes. J Surg Oncol. 2016 Jun;113(8):906-12. doi: 10.1002/jso.24143. Epub 2016 Jan 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26750435 (View on PubMed)

Pu LL. Mechanisms of Fat Graft Survival. Ann Plast Surg. 2016 Feb;77 Suppl 1:S84-6. doi: 10.1097/SAP.0000000000000730.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26808753 (View on PubMed)

Herly M, Orholt M, Larsen A, Pipper CB, Bredgaard R, Gramkow CS, Katz AJ, Drzewiecki KT, Vester-Glowinski PV. Efficacy of breast reconstruction with fat grafting: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2018 Dec;71(12):1740-1750. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2018.08.024. Epub 2018 Sep 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30245019 (View on PubMed)

Shim YH, Zhang RH. Literature Review to Optimize the Autologous Fat Transplantation Procedure and Recent Technologies to Improve Graft Viability and Overall Outcome: A Systematic and Retrospective Analytic Approach. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2017 Aug;41(4):815-831. doi: 10.1007/s00266-017-0793-3. Epub 2017 Feb 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28175966 (View on PubMed)

Gentilucci M, Mazzocchi M, Alfano C. Effects of Prophylactic Lipofilling After Radiotherapy Compared to Non-Fat Injected Breasts: A Randomized, Objective Study. Aesthet Surg J. 2020 Sep 14;40(10):NP597-NP607. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjaa182.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32598447 (View on PubMed)

Batenburg MCT, Maarse W, van der Leij F, Baas IO, Boonstra O, Lansdorp N, Doeksen A, van den Bongard DHJG, Verkooijen HM. The impact of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on late radiation toxicity and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2021 Sep;189(2):425-433. doi: 10.1007/s10549-021-06332-2. Epub 2021 Jul 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34279734 (View on PubMed)

Mink van der Molen DR, Batenburg MCT, Maarse W, van den Bongard DHJG, Doeksen A, de Lange MY, van der Pol CC, Evers DJ, Lansdorp CA, van der Laan J, van de Ven PM, van der Leij F, Verkooijen HM. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and Late Local Toxic Effects in Patients With Irradiated Breast Cancer: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol. 2024 Apr 1;10(4):464-474. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.6776.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 38329746 (View on PubMed)

Pandey K, Teguh DN, van Hulst RA. Effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on skin elasticity in irradiated patients. Diving Hyperb Med. 2022 Sep 30;52(3):208-212. doi: 10.28920/dhm52.3.208-212.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36100932 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

Access external resources that provide additional context or updates about the study.

https://www.hug.ch/sites/interhug/files/documents/medecine_hyperbare.pdf

Informative brochure from the Hyperbaric Medicine Division of the Geneva University Hospitals (in French)

https://www.hug.ch/programme-medecine-hyperbare/deroulement-traitement

Official website of the Hyperbaric Medicine Division of the Geneva University Hospitals with an explanatory video

Other Identifiers

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2025-D0050

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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