Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

, Volume 39, Issue 4, pp 514–522 | Cite as

Effects of Reduction Mammaplasty Operations on the Spinal Column: Clinical and Radiological Response

Original Article Breast
First Online:
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Abstract

Background

Women with macromastia suffer from bodily disproportions like increased spinal curvature owing to the mass effect caused by severely large breasts. In such cases, the erector spinae muscles generate an overcompensatory pressure to maintain a normal posture, resulting in neck, back, and lumbar pain. This study aimed to objectively show the improvement of physical symptoms after reduction mammaplasty and evaluate psychological and physical changes of patients.

Methods

Pre- and postoperative cervical, thoracic, and lumbar bidirectional (anteroposterior and lateral) radiographs were obtained from 40 patients who underwent reduction mammaplasty. Cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and lumbosacral angles were evaluated. Body mass index, breast tissue volume, and excised tissue amount were recorded for each patient. Visual Analog Scores (VAS) were used to qualify the severity of neck, back, and lumbar pain, the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) to evaluate quality of life (QoL), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to evaluate depression severity.

Results

Cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and lumbosacral angle improved, and patients’ neck, back, and lumbar pain decreased. The positive correlation between the excised glandular tissue amount and the decrease in neck, back, and lumbar pain was reflected in the results of VAS, NHP, and BDI tests. After reduction mammaplasty, depression symptoms caused by macromastia decreased. Parameters of QoL, including physical activity, socialization, fatigue, sleeping, and emotional reactions, significantly improved.

Conclusion

Patients with macromastia should be considered for reduction mammaplasty before the onset of postmenopausal osteoporosis to improve QoL.

Level of Evidence III

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266.

Keywords

Reduction mammaplasty Lumbar pain Body posture Visual analog score (VAS) Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This research received no specific Grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of interest

All named authors hereby declare that they have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York and International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Private Deva HospitalGaziantepTurkey
  2. 2.Department of Plastic and Reconstructive SurgeryMustafa Kemal University, School of MedicineHatayTurkey
  3. 3.Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeryİstanbul University, School of MedicineIstanbulTurkey

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