The effects of breast reduction with superomedial and inferior pedicle techniques on radiological breast imaging.

[BACKGROUND] Several breast reduction techniques have been introduced, and the reliability of these techniques has been demonstrated in clinical practice. However, it is still controversial how patients should be evaluated radiologically both preoperative and postoperative. This study aims to compare the radiological findings seen following reduction mammoplasty with two different techniques (inferior pedicle and superomedial pedicle), in connection with the surgical steps.

[METHODS] Medical records of 141 patients and a total of 278 breasts who underwent breast reduction with the diagnosis of macromastia were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic and operative data such as age, type of pedicle, preoperative and postoperative nipple-areola complex (NAC) position, and NAC transfer distance were recorded. Radiological evaluation was performed by two radiologists experienced in breast imaging by reinterpreting preoperative and postoperative mammography images.

[RESULTS] The rate of postoperative structural distortion (p < 0.001), thickened areola (p = 0.011), and retroareolar fibrotic band (p < 0.001) were observed to be significantly higher in the superomedial group. The risk of fat necrosis increases as the NAC transfer distance increases and a value of >9.5 cm in the NAC transfer distance can be considered as the cutoff value in terms of fat necrosis development, especially in those using superomedial pedicle technique.

[CONCLUSION] Surgical technique-specific benign radiological changes occur following reduction mammoplasty. However, these changes do not significantly affect the Breast imaging, reporting, and data system category. The localization of fat necrosis differs depending on the surgical technique, and the risk of fat necrosis increases as the NAC transfer distance increases, especially in those who have undergone superomedial pedicle breast reduction surgery.