title: Long-term sensory recovery of nipple-areola complex following superolateral pedicled reduction mammaplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to investigate nipple-areola complex sensation at 48-month follow-up following superolateral pedicled reduction mammaplasty using the pressure-specified sensory device.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data regarding nipple-areola complex sensation for static and moving one- and two-point discrimination were collected from 30 active group hypertrophic-breasted patients undergoing superolateral pedicled reduction mammaplasty preoperatively, at 6 months, and at 48 months, and from a control group of 30 unoperated women with normal-sized breasts. Breast volume was assessed using the BREAST-V instrument.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the nipple, static one-point discrimination showed that mean pressure thresholds for the active group at 48 months were 4.10 and 4.19 times higher than preoperatively and in the control group (p<0.001), respectively; moving one-point discrimination showed that mean pressure thresholds for the active group at 48 months were 4.08 and 3.23 times higher than preoperatively and in the control group (p<0.001), respectively. For the areola, static one-point discrimination showed that mean pressure thresholds in the active group at 48 months were 4.12 and 4.83 times higher than preoperatively and in the control group (p<0.001), respectively; moving one-point discrimination showed that mean pressure thresholds from the active group at 48 months were 4.56 and 4.46 times higher than preoperatively and in the control group (p<0.001), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite a slight worsening at 6 months after surgery, patients who had undergone superolateral pedicled reduction mammaplasty showed significant nipple-areola complex sensibility reduction at 48-month follow-up. Although the nipple-areola complex of hypertrophic-breasted patients was seen to be nonsignificantly less sensitive than normal-sized breasts, a significant decrease of sensation was observed following reduction mammaplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic, II.
authors.affiliation: Rome, Italy From the Plastic Surgery Unit, Sant'Andrea Hospital, NESMOS Department, and the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, School of Medicine and Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome.
authors.forename: Benedetto
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campanale
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farcomeni
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santanelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000294:innervation* / Q000601:surgery; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D016462:Mammaplasty; D008875:Middle Aged; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012677:Sensation; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000294:innervation*