Tuberous Breast Deformity Correction: 12-year Experience.

BACKGROUND: This article shows our 12-year experience in application of the technique of breast parenchyma modification with simultaneous augmentation on the tuberous breast. We undertook the study, and with the results of this study we can say that tuberous breast deformation is a common pathology that is caused not only by a thickening of the superficial fascia but also by breast parenchyma fibrosis. When traditional techniques without parenchyma modification are used during the surgery, it is often that patients come back to treat complications.

METHODS: A total of 208 patients (414 breasts) with tuberous breast deformation treated from 2005 to 2017 were included. The mean patient age was 31 years (range, 22-53 years). A periareolar approach, vertical and horizontal glandular scoring, dual-plane pocket creation, and anatomic implants were used in all cases.

RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 36 months (range, 3-144 months). Deformities of the types I-IV by Von Heimburg were corrected. The global complication rate for all patients in this study was 8.9%-1.4% had capsular contracture, 1.5% had postoperative malposition, 2% had "double bubble" , 2% had rippling, 2% had areola and nipple sensitivity disorder.

CONCLUSION: The authors' experience demonstrates that the described one-stage approach combining mammary gland parenchyma modification (glandular scoring) with dual-plane pocket and anatomic implants provides satisfactory results for treatment of tubular breast deformity with minimal complications and other effects that require repeated treatment.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: 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 .