REDUCTION MAMMAPLASTY IMPROVES SYMPTOMS OF MACROMASTIA

The condition macromastia has not been defined and characterized preci sely by the medical community. Whether the patient with hypertrophic b reasts is a candidate for or can be helped by reduction mammaplasty is unclear to both the medical and the lay community. A prospective stud y of 39 women undergoing reduction mammaplasty surgery was initiated t o answer these questions. Patients rated the severity of their somatic pain symptoms and discomfort before reduction mammaplasty and again a fter complete recovery. The severity of their symptoms and complaints was numerically graded and analyzed. These data were compared with sim ilar data obtained from 40 ''small-breasted'' women of similar age. He adache, neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, and bra strap groove pain were present in 60 to 92 percent of patients, and 97 percent of patie nts had at least three of these pain symptoms preoperatively. All the patients had reduction of their pain symptomatology postoperatively, a nd 25 percent of the study patients had total elimination of pain symp toms by reduction mammaplasty. The postoperative incidence and severit y of pain symptoms and discomfort complaints were statistically equiva lent to or less than the levels in the control group.