Septum-Based Mammaplasties: Surgical Techniques and Evaluation of Nipple-Areola Sensibility

Background: The aim of the study was to describe details of surgical techniques and objectively evaluate nipple-areola (NAC) sensibility and viability of septum-based mammaplasties compared to not septum-based reduction techniques.

Methods: Data regarding NAC sensibility for static and moving one- and two-point discrimination were prospectively collected from 63 active group hypertrophic-breasted patients undergoing septum-based reduction mammaplasty preoperatively, at 6 and 12 months postoperatively, and from a control group of 60 patients who underwent not septum-based techniques. Fixed and mixed effect models were used for statistical analysis.

Results: Comparison of complications showed no significant differences between groups (p = 0.07). After adjusting the results of the active group according to type of sensory testing, it emerged that the threshold decreases by 10% (p = 0.0003) at 6 months and even reaches 43% (p < 0.0001) at 12 months. The results have been modulated according to age, since the variation is less marked when age increased, by 0.6% at 6 months and 0.8% at 12 months (p = 0.019). The effects of the BMI can only be seen at 12 months, with an increase by 1.3% per year (p = 0.033). Among septum-based techniques, the inferior-central pedicle showed better sensibility outcomes even if not significantly (p = 0.06). Comparison of NAC sensibility outcomes showed that active group had thresholds that were 48% lower when compared to those of the control group at 12 months postoperatively (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Septum-based mammaplasty gives optimal results in terms of NAC viability with a significant improvement of sensibility postoperatively. Comparative outcomes on sensibility were also significantly better than not septum-based techniques.

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