Closed-suction Drains Reduce Postoperative Complications After Inferior Pedicle Reduction Mammaplasty With Adjunct...

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Reconstructive Surgery

Background:

• Adjunct liposuction is common in reduction mammaplasty (RM) to enhance lateral chest contour.
• Its effect on complications across different pedicle techniques and the role of drains remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if lateral liposuction is linked to postoperative complications in inferior pedicle (IP) or superomedial pedicle (SMP) RM.
• To determine if drain placement modifies complication risk.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 1042 primary RM patients (2019-2023).
• Patients stratified by pedicle design (IP vs. SMP), liposuction status, and drain placement.
• Logistic regression analyzed 90-day postoperative complications.

Main Results:

• Adjunct liposuction (IP(+L)) increased overall complications (OR 2.67) and T-point breakdown (OR 3.90) in the IP group.
• In IP(+L) patients, drains reduced T-point breakdown (OR 0.05) and seroma (OR 0.14).
• No seromas were observed in the SMP(+L) cohort, irrespective of drain use.

Conclusions:

• Lateral liposuction raises complication rates for IP RM but not SMP RM.
• Closed-suction drains are recommended for IP RM when combined with liposuction to mitigate specific complications.