Comparison of Sensory Changes Following Superomedial and Inferior Pedicle Breast Reduction

• Published in: Aesthetic plastic surgery Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 38 - 46
• Main Authors: Muslu, Ümran, Demirez, Dilek Şenen, Uslu, Asım, Korkmaz, Mehmet Ali, Filiz, Meral Bilgilisoy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.02.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Breast - abnormalities; Breast - surgery; Breasts; Chi-Square Distribution; Cohort Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypertrophy - surgery; Mammaplasty - adverse effects; Mammaplasty - methods; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nipples - innervation; Nipples - surgery; Original Article; Otorhinolaryngology; Plastic Surgery; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - physiopathology; Prospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Sensation Disorders - etiology; Sensation Disorders - prevention & control; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surgical Flaps - innervation; Treatment Outcome; Nipple-areolar-complex; Breast reduction; Sensation change; Macromastia
• ISSN: 0364-216X; 1432-5241
• DOI: 10.1007/s00266-017-0958-0

Background More attention is focused on sensory outcomes following breast reduction operations. We conducted this prospective, non-randomized study to compare two commonly used breast reduction techniques, superomedial pedicle and inferior pedicle, regarding sensation of the nipple-areolar complex. Methods We prospectively assigned 60 patients with macromastia into the superomedial pedicle group (SMP group, n  = 30) or the inferior pedicle (IP group, n  = 30) group. Six patients who withdrew from the study and another six patients who did not attend return visits were excluded. Algometry was used to measure the sensation of breast skin, cardinal points of the areola and the nipple. Two-point discrimination was also measured on the areola. Measurements were performed before surgery, at 3 weeks, and 6 months postoperatively. Results There were 20 patients in the SMP group and 28 patients in the IP group. The mean ages of the patients were 43.2 ± 12.7 and 45.9 ± 10.8 years, respectively ( p  = 0.438). The mean BMI of the patients were 32.4 ± 6.7 and 30.4 ± 5.3 kg/m 2 , respectively ( p  = 0.257). The mean weights of resected tissues were 802.5 (280–2180) versus 773.7 (349.5–1425.0) g, respectively ( p  = 0.900). Although breast sensation did not change in the SMP group, sensation in the upper medial and lower lateral portions of breast skin was reduced in the IP group. Two-point discrimination test results did not change in either group. The amount of changes in algometry and two-point discrimination tests were similar in both groups. Conclusion Both superomedial and inferior pedicle breast reduction techniques are safe and reliable in terms of sensory changes. Level of Evidence III This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .