Postoperative Complications Following Reduction Mammaplasty in Relation to Patient Body Mass Index.

Background: Reduction mammaplasty is a common procedure that is performed for both aesthetic reasons and quality-of-life improvement. It is performed largely to help the patient achieve a proportionate breast size for their individual body type, with the goal of restoring anatomical proportionality and psychological wellness while reducing chronic neck, back, and shoulder pain. The common risks of breast reduction include bleeding, scarring, infection, poor wound healing, fat necrosis, nipple necrosis, and/or seroma. This study is designed to show that patients with a body mass index (BMI) of >30.0 kg/m² are at higher risks for all complications.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed medical records of 236 patients who underwent breast reduction mammaplasty from January 2015 to February 2022 by a single surgeon at a single institution. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on their BMI: the non-obese group with a BMI ≤29.9 kg/m² and the obese group with a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m² and above. This study compares postsurgical outcomes and complications in relation to patient BMI.

Results: Of 236 total patients, 104 (44%) had complications specified by predetermined criteria. Of those 104 patients with complications, 94 (90.38%) had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m². Predetermined complications were as follows: 24 patients (23.08%) experienced wound dehiscence, 23 of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 9 patients (8.65%) experienced hematomas, all of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 37 patients (35.58%) were found to have superficial wounds, 32 of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 39 (37.5%) were found to have a seroma, 35 of whom patients were found to have a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 25 patients (24.04%) experienced fat necrosis, 24 of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 3 patients (2.88%) experienced nipple necrosis, all of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 20 patients (19.23%) experienced infection, 19 of whom had a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m².

Conclusions: On the basis of data gathered and the statistics performed, patients with a BMI ≥30.0 kg/m² were 4.86 times more likely to have postsurgical complications than those with a BMI <30.0 kg/m².