Can reduction mammoplasty patients be promised a particular size postoperatively?

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Patient Outcomes Research

Background:

• Reduction mammoplasty aims to reduce breast size and alleviate associated symptoms.
• Patient-reported outcomes, such as bra size changes, are crucial for evaluating surgical success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the correlation between the amount of tissue removed during reduction mammoplasty and changes in self-reported bra size.
• To identify the prevalence of patients reporting no change in bra size despite significant tissue resection.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 91 patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty between 2001-2003.
• Collection of pre- and postoperative self-reported bra sizes, heights, and weights.
• Standardization of bra cup sizes for analysis.

Main Results:

• A mean of 522g of tissue was removed per breast.
• 17 patients (25%) reported no change in standardized cup size, with an average of 577.1g tissue removed per breast.
• A decrease of one or two cup sizes correlated with less tissue removal compared to no change.

Conclusions:

• A significant percentage of patients report no change in bra size post-reduction mammoplasty, irrespective of the volume of tissue excised.
• The discrepancy between surgical intervention and patient-reported bra size changes warrants further investigation.
• Understanding this discrepancy is vital for improving patient satisfaction following reduction mammoplasty.