REEVALUATING THE NEED FOR ROUTINE DRAINAGE IN REDUCTION MAMMAPLASTY

The incidence of complications after reduction mammaplasty without dra ins was reviewed by analysis of 50 bilateral reduction mammaplasty pro cedures. Patients ranged in age from 14 to 65 years; the average combi ned volume removed was 953 g. Eighty-four percent of the patients unde rwent a Pitanguy technique, and the remaining patients underwent an in ferior pedicle or amputative technique with free nipple grafts. Three patients had six complications; one of these patients had three of the complications. Complications included two cases of fat necrosis and o ne case of wound disruption, One patient had a hematoma with wound dis ruption and partial nipple loss. There were no cases of infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of complications in r eduction mammaplasty performed without drains. Incidentally, statistic al analysis using the chi-squared rest revealed that this series witho ut drains compared favorably with previously published data for reduct ion mammaplasty using drains. It is concluded that routine closed suct ion drainage after reduction mammaplasty is unnecessary and should be reconsidered.