LAS VEGAS Breast reduction by liposuction using tumescent local anesthesia is a safe and effective procedure, results from a study of 131 patients showed.
The patients ranged in age from 16 to 77 years and their average age was 45 years, Dr. Loek Habbema reported at the annual meeting of the International Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
Breast volume was measured preoperatively and postoperatively in two ways: the amount of fat removed as a percent of breast volume and the percent reduction measured as a difference between breast volumes.
Each patient lost an average of 51% total breast volume, said Dr. Habbema, a dermatologist who practices in Bussum, the Netherlands. The minimum volume lost was 20%, while the maximum volume was 87%. He said that the average loss of fat was 1,040 mL in both breasts combined.
"In women under the age of 30, the percent of breast volume reduction is variable due to the variability of fat content in the breast, but in older women, a reduction of 40% or more is typically reached," Dr. Habbema said.
The average lifting of breast tissue that occurred after the procedure was 2.8 cm. The minimum lift was 0.8 cm and the maximum lift was 7.0 cm, he said.
Complications from the procedure included three cases of erythema, two cases of blistering, two cases of hematoma, one case of contact dermatitis, and one case of retracted nipple.
"This is a great opportunity to help patients, a better way than normally used in breast reduction by excision," Dr. Habbema said of the procedure.
Dr. Habbema had no conflicts to disclose relevant to his presentation.