Karen Klickmann(847) 240-1735[email protected]
Jennifer Gale(847) 240-1730[email protected]
Julie Bremer(847) 240-1743[email protected]
FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 22, 2002
NEW TREATMENT FOR BREAST REDUCTION
NEW ORLEANS (February 22, 2002) - For many women with large breasts, neck, back and shoulder pain are common complaints. Indentations of the bra, difficulty in choosing a bra and discomfort of having large breasts, particularly during exercise, are equally troublesome. Until recently, breast reduction options have been primarily limited to a common surgical procedure called surgical mammoplasty. Today, however, women who are searching for breast reduction have a new alternative.
Speaking today at the American Academy of Dermatology's 2002 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, dermatologist Daniel Lanzer, MD, of Toorak, Australia, discussed the results of his recent study on liposuction for breast reduction.
"Surgical mammoplasty is a complicated and long procedure that has potentially serious risks such as scarring and prolonged recovery," said Dr. Lanzer. "This new technique of breast reduction by liposuction allows for the safe removal of fat with a low risk of bleeding and infection."
Traditional liposuction is a body shaping procedure for areas where hereditary fat deposits resistant to diet and exercise have accumulated. Dermatologic surgeons developed and refined the technique of tumescent liposuction under local anesthesia in the late 1980s. This procedure is currently the standard of care for the surgical fat removal.
Liposuction of the breasts involves a three-stage method. In the first stage, the breasts are filled with a tumescent fluid. In the second stage, a fine micro-cannula is used to suction the fat and fluid in multiple directions around the breast. In stage three, the micro-cannula is passed right under the epidermis, the upper layer of skin, to enhance the skin retraction. This is known as superficial liposculpture.
"The micro-cannula in breast liposuction is far more precise than earlier technology," explained Dr. Lanzer. "The micro-cannula allows the dermatologic surgeon to sculpt the breast area, which was traditionally harder to suction, more precisely."
In a study conducted by Dr. Lanzer, 250 patients underwent breast reduction through liposuction over a 24-month period. Breast size varied from a size C to a size J and the majority of patients were primarily having the procedure to relieve pain related to heavy breasts.
In Dr. Lanzer's study group, there were no serious complications with the liposuction procedure. This procedure has been shown to be effective in nearly all breast shapes, other than the extreme drooping which would require mammoplasty.
As with any invasive procedure, most patients may have tenderness and swelling following their breast reduction. Patients who had large amounts of fat extracted had more significant, deep swelling and bruising that healed over the following months following the procedure. A compression garment is applied immediately and a firm, supportive bra is worn for the ensuing two weeks. The downtime is uniformally rapid with most patients returning to work and normal activity in two to three days. Most patients can expect to have their breast size reduced by one to two sizes. Additionally, none of Dr. Lanzer's patients have gone on to breastfeed. This still remains an unknown.
Prior to the procedure, the patient meets with the dermatologic surgeon to assess the procedure and discuss any questions the patient may have. During the initial examination, the patient undergoes a physical examination to document the shape of the breast and the extent of the drooping, a water displacement test to confirm the volume size of the breasts, and a mammography and ultrasound to determine the amount of fat in the breasts.
In a small percentage of patients undergoing surgical mammoplasty, early breast cancer has been found despite normal mammography. Unfortunately, liposuction does not have this advantage of finding breast cancers at this early stage. It is unknown and unproven whether liposuction will enhance spreading of a breast cancer that would develop later in life, or if in fact it will allow early detection since the breasts are much smaller. Pre-operative and post-operative mammograms should be repeated every twelve months or on the advice of the patient's primary care provider.
"There are many advantages to selecting liposuction for breast reduction over mammoplasty," said Dr. Lanzer. "In some reports, up to 50 percent of patients who undergo surgical mammoplasty have breast changes such as fibrosis and calcification. When compared with surgical mammoplasty, liposuction has a lower risk of producing these post-operative effects because there are no surgical scars in the breast and no heat is produced from the liposuction procedure."
The American Academy of Dermatology, founded in 1938, is the largest, most influential, and most representative of all dermatologic associations. With a membership of over 14,000 dermatologists worldwide, the Academy is committed to: advancing the diagnosis and medical, surgical, and cosmetic treatment of the skin, hair and nails; advocating high standards in clinical practice, education, and research in dermatology; supporting and enhancing patient care for a lifetime of healthier skin. For more information, contact the AAD at 1-888-462-DERM or www.aad.org.
###
RSS