[Breast restoration by the lipomodeling technique after breast sequelae following complications of reduction mammoplasty]

Abstract

Background: Complications of reduction mammoplasty can lead to aesthetic sequelae, which are known to be difficult and delicate to treat, and only a few articles deal with this subject.

Purpose: The objective of this article is to present and analyze our experience of lipomodeling for the secondary management of aesthetic sequelae occurring after a complication of reduction mammoplasty.

Material and methods: An uniform and consecutive series of 22 female patients, operated with the lipomodeling technique from December 2003 to March 2019 by the last author, to correct aesthetic sequelae after secondary complications of reduction mammoplasty was studied analyzing the efficiency and the tolerance of this technique.

Results: The results showed 86.4% of very good results and 13.6% of good results. Seventeen patients (77.3%) were highly satisfied with the postoperative outcome, and 5 patients were satisfied (22.7%). The number of procedures varied from 1 to 3: 15 patients (68.2%) underwent only one session of lipomodeling, 5 patients (22.7%) underwent two sessions, and 2 patients (9.1%) underwent three sessions. The mean time between two interventions was 4 months (3-12). No patient of this series initiates any medico-legal proceeding towards the first surgeon.

Conclusion: After this study, lipomodeling, in association with ancillary procedures, seems to be an effective and safe solution to correct aesthetic sequelae following secondary complications of reduction mammoplasty. It should have a key role for the correction of these sequelae. An effective and appropriate care of these patients leads to good results and patients' final satisfaction, and manages to avoid any medico-legal proceeding, always badly lived as much for the patient as for the first surgeon.

Keywords: Complication de réduction mammaire; Complications of reduction mammoplasty; Fat graft; Fat grafting; Greffe de tissus graisseux; Lipofilling; Lipomodelage; Lipomodeling; Reduction mammoplasty; Réduction mammaire; Transfert graisseux.