Advances in Breast Reduction and Mastopexy

Scott L. Spear, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Steven P. Davison, M.D., D.D.S., F.A.C.S.

Welcome to the issue of Seminars in Plastic Surgery addressing “New Trends in Breast Reduction and Mastopexy.” The last decade has been an exciting time for development in reduction mammaplasty. Patient and physician demands for techniques that reduce scars have ushered in vertical reduction and liposuction-only reduction.

A fundamental change in thinking has developed where the type of breast pedicle in reductions has been separated from the skin pattern of excision. This has shown increased versatility, allowing flexibility yet maintaining reliability. In this edition, this philosophy is presented by the Hammond, Hall-Findlay, and Spear, Davison, and Ducic articles. The adoption of innovative techniques from the aesthetic breast surgery such as round block stitch has added more dimensions to reduction and mastopexy.

The increased aesthetic standards in reconstructive surgery have led to advances in how we address the contralateral breast in oncological surgery or how to incorporate lumpectomy in reduction patterns. These are important issues as the demands for a complete breast surgery approach in breast cancer increases.

As bariatric surgery and massive weight loss become more common place, the breast surgeon needs newer techniques and approaches to manage a massive skin excess problem while attempting to selectively increase breast volume.

We are fortunate to have authors with deep insight and contribution to reduction and mastopexy write articles for this issue. We hope it will assist in developing the art of reduction mammaplasty and mastopexy.