3D Volume Assessment as an Objective Tool in Breast Asymmetry Management

Throughout history, the female breast has been a universal symbol of femininity. The breast's normal symmetrical appearance is an important aspect of the female form. Female breasts are not perfectly symmetrical by nature, and minor differences in shape or volume are common. However, it can be psychologically distressing for patients and affect their perception of their bodies. Aesthetic breast surgeons strive to minimize these differences in order to make them more acceptable to patients. This study aimed to provide an objective and practical strategy for effectively managing breast asymmetry.

This study was conducted between November 2017 and September 2021 on 20 female patients seeking breast asymmetry correction at Kasr El-Ainy Hospital. All patients had volumetric breast assessment using a three-dimensional (3D) imaging system (3D LifeViz, Quantificare system), and MRI breast volumetry was done preoperatively in all patients. The patients were managed with different single-stage surgical procedures depending on the objective assessment of the volume differences between their breasts.

Breast volume assessment using the 3D camera was done preoperatively and postoperatively. The preoperative mean volume difference was 159.45 cm³, and the postoperative mean difference was 16.75 cm³ with an overall reduction in mean volume difference of 89.5%. Comparing the 3D camera and MRI in assessing breast volume difference showed no statistical significance.

The 3D technology is a useful objective tool to augment the surgeon's experience. It helped achieve an 84.57% reduction in volume difference in managing breast asymmetry with a single-stage procedure.