Mastopexy: Current Trends in Private Practice and Academic Practice and the Impact on Resident Training

Training residents for cosmetic surgery is challenging. This study's goal is to identify the mastopexy spectrum, comparing private and academic practice, and determine the impact on resident training and readiness.

An institutional review board-approved retrospective analysis of the senior author's mastopexy practice was performed: 5 years private; 5 years academics consecutively. Indications for surgery, type of surgery, and complications (return to operating room, hospital readmission, prosthesis loss, nonoperative hematoma, seroma, wound dehiscence, infection) were recorded. Surveys were sent to all graduated, board-certified plastic surgeons (all in private practice) who trained in performing mastopexy with the lead surgeon in our apprenticeship model.

A total of 246 mastopexies were reviewed (155 in private practice and 91 in academic setting). There were 7 main indications for mastopexy identified: ptosis, postpartum atrophy, nonsurgical weight loss, surgical weight loss, asymmetry, reconstruction/balancing, revision from previous augmentation. Fisher exact test was performed. Primary mastopexy alone was significantly more prevalent in private practice (P = 0.0184). Revisional mastopexy/augmentation was significantly more prevalent in academic practice (P = 0.0047). There was no statistical difference in major or minor complications between private and academic setting (P = 0.077 and P = 0.219, respectively). All graduated trainees reported being "comfortable" or "very comfortable" performing mastopexies.

Primary mastopexy is more commonly performed in a private practice setting. Mastopexy, in academics, is more likely in conjunction with reconstruction/balancing. Despite lesser representation of pure cosmetic mastopexy, trainees are well prepared for mastopexy. This indicates that principles and techniques of aesthetic surgery are adequately taught.