Retrocapsular Pocket to Correct Symmastia:

Acquired Symmastia: Classification, Causes, and Repair Strategy

BACKGROUND

Acquired symmastia is a rare complication after breast augmentation that is difficult to fix.

METHODS

The medical records of 18 female patients with symmastia treated by our team were reviewed. Data collected included preoperative medical history, implant size, and breast base width. Surgical techniques were systematically reviewed and analyzed based on postoperative follow-up results.

RESULTS

Of the 18 patients, 15 patients had undergone implanted breast augmentation and 3 had injected breast augmentation. All 18 patients underwent comprehensive repair with various surgical techniques. Three patients showed recurrence after operation. Four patients were dissatisfied with postoperative breast size and underwent 2-stage replacement surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Symmastia is an intractable surgical complication. Surgical classification can help assess the difficulty of surgery in advance, and the surgical strategy plan can help the surgeon to control the quality of the repair surgery.

Revisional Breast Surgery: Are Surgical Plans Changed if the Patient Has a Textured Device?

SUMMARY

The authors reviewed the available evidence on revision surgery following implant-based breast surgery with the aim of investigating whether any difference in the surgical approach should be proposed if the patient has a textured device. They included in their review 31 studies presenting different approaches for revision surgery following implant-based breast surgery (both aesthetic and reconstructive), with a level of evidence ranging from 4 to 5. None of the included studies proposed different surgical approaches for revision surgery in patients carrying textured devices. The authors conclude that no different surgical attitudes in revision surgery following implant-based breast surgery should be adopted if the patient has a textured device according to the available evidence, when a correct approach is performed to face the complication or adverse event, following a thorough preoperative study of the patient with the proper diagnostic tools.

Secondary augmentation-mastopexy: indications, preferred practices, and the treatment of complications

Increasing the volume of the breast while simultaneously decreasing the skin envelope equates to surgery involving opposing forces. Increasing patient demand and the evolving perceptions of surgeons have led to the growing popularity of the combined augmentation-mastopexy operation. In turn, secondary augmentation-mastopexies and revisional surgeries of primary augmentation-mastopexies also have increased in popularity. In this article, the authors describe indications for secondary augmentation-mastopexy, techniques for performing this combined procedure safely and effectively, adjunctive procedures, potential pitfalls, and the treatment of complications.