Current practices in reduction mammaplasty: A nationwide survey of French plastic surgeons in 2024

Reduction mammaplasty is a common surgical procedure in France. Even if the French surgeons were pioneers in this surgery's development, we ignored French plastics surgeons' practices in this domain at this time. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of breast reduction practices among French plastic surgeons in 2024.

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional observational study conducted between March and June 2024. A 41-item online survey was distributed to French plastic surgeons, addressing surgeon demographics, indications, surgical techniques, and perioperative management strategies for reduction mammaplasty.

A total of 513 plastic surgeons responded. The main preoperative requirements were smoking cessation (89%) and a body mass index (BMI) <30kg/m² (79%). Preoperative imaging was requested by 90% of respondents. The most frequently employed surgical techniques were the superomedial pedicle (44%) and the superior pedicle (42%), whereas the inferior pedicle was rarely used (1%). Drains were placed by 57% of surgeons, and outpatient surgery was performed by 26%. The most reported early complication was wound dehiscence (61%), while late complications were dominated by suture exposure (59%).

To our knowledge, this is the first national cross-sectional online survey describing breast reduction practices in France. Despite the declarative nature of the data, the large number of responses provides meaningful insights into current trends and the evolution of surgical practice.