Lactation and breast-feeding ability following lateral pedicle mammaplasty

A retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the ability of breast-feeding using lateral pedicle reduction mammaplasty. A standard questionnaire was sent to 72 patients who had been operated on at a fertile age. Data was collected regarding the duration and quality of preoperative and postoperative breast-feeding, difficulties while breast-feeding, reasons for discontinuation of breast-feeding or for not attempting to breast-feed, and postoperative subjective sensitivity. Thirteen of the women who replied to the questionnaire had given birth after surgery. The pressure threshold sensitivity of areola-nipple complex was measured in nine of the above cases. To preserve lactation, a technique leaving structures untouched within the pedicle with increased dimensions was used. Breast-feeding was considered successful in this study if it was performed exclusively, without supplementation, for two months. Seven women (54%) breast-fed successfully for between two and 14 months (5.8 +/- 1.3) following surgery. Two women (16%) were classified as unsuccessful and four women (30%) did not breast-feed at all. The success of breast-feeding was limited by nonsurgical factors including the influence of medical personal. Five of eight women (62%) who had children preoperatively improved their rate of breast-feeding after surgery. No correlation was demonstrated between measured sensitivity and breast-feeding (p = 0.65). No significant correlation was found between the resected tissue and breast-feeding (p = 0.08). No relation was observed between the duration of breast-feeding and the period between operation and partus. (C) 2003 The British Association of Plastic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.