Vertical scar versus the inverted-T scar reduction mammaplasty: a 10-year follow-up.
A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate whether the initial outcome of two types of reduction mammaplasty techniques (vertical scar reduction mammaplasty vs. the inverted-T scar reduction mammaplasty) remains stable in the long term: Sixty-nine patients who had undergone breast reduction surgery in the period 1997-2000 at the Department of Reconstructive Plastic Surgery at the Medical Center of Leeuwarden were willing and able to participate in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the degree of patient satisfaction. For subjective evaluation, the Strasser Grading System on photographs at the 3 months after surgery and after long-term follow-up (10 years) was used. The median general appreciation mark for the entire surgical procedure given by patients was 8 (1-10) on a scale from 1 to 10. Forty-six of the 69 patients could be scored according to Strasser: at 3 months in 17 patients (37%) the result was 'good', in 21 patients (46%) 'mediocre' and in eight patients (17%) 'poor'. After 10 years, in 37 of the patients (80%) the result was 'good', in six patients (13%) 'mediocre' and in three patients (7%) 'poor'. At 3 months, there was a higher incidence of bottoming out in the vertical scar group (one on two patients) as compared to the inverted-T scar group (one on 10 patients); however, at the 10-years follow-up bottoming out was 50% in the inverted-T scar group and 20% in the vertical scar group. Despite bottoming out, in both the vertical scar reduction mammaplasty technique and the inverted-T scar reduction mammaplasty technique, high patient satisfaction rates are achieved that remains for years.
University of Groningen, Faculty of Medicine, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Lesley R
LR
Bouwer
Jan Jaap
JJ
van der Biezen
Cees A
CA
Spronk
Berend
B
van der Lei
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000601:surgery; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013536:Suture Techniques; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult