Disparities in pathways to reduction mammaplasty: A single institution review of 425 women with macromastia

• Published in: Journal of plastic, reconstructive & aesthetic surgery Vol. 96; pp. 175 - 185
• Main Authors: Kim, Dylan K., Wang, Ruiyan M., Rohde, Christine H., Ascherman, Jeffrey A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2024
• Subjects: Disparities; Insurance; Macromastia; Plastic surgery; Race; Reduction mammaplasty; Plastic surgery; Macromastia; Disparities; Reduction mammaplasty; Insurance; Race
• ISSN: 1748-6815; 1878-0539; 1878-0539
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjps.2024.07.028

Reduction mammaplasty improves the quality of life by providing functional and aesthetic benefits to women with macromastia. This study contributes to the existing literature on socioeconomic and clinical barriers to referral for plastic surgery procedures by focusing specifically on reduction mammaplasty. Patients with macromastia were identified via a chart review in a single institution from 2021–2022. The treatment pathway for each patient was characterized by reception of referral, completion of plastic surgery consultation, and eventual reception of surgery. After controlling for clinical covariates, multivariate logistic regression was applied to quantify the independent impact of race, insurance, and language status on the completion of surgery (p < 0.05). The final patient cohort included 425 women with macromastia. Among the 151 patients who were first seen by a primary care physician, 64 (42%) completed an initial plastic surgery consultation. Among all patients, 160 (38%) eventually underwent reduction mammaplasty. Multivariate regression predictions indicated a lower likelihood of completing breast reduction surgery in patients with current smoking history (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.59) and higher body mass index (BMI) (OR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90–0.97) (p < 0.05). Minority race and ethnicity, private insurance status, and primary language status were not significant predictors of this outcome (p > 0.05). In this study, the socioeconomic variables were not independent predictors of breast reduction surgery completion. However, the association of minority race and ethnicity and nonprivate insurance status with the most common reasons for breast reduction deferral suggest an indirect influence of socioeconomic status on the treatment pathway.