Summary
Classification of breast reduction as a functional or cosmetic operation is an unresolved
issue.
Surgical reduction of the breast is equally indicated both for correction of functional
sequelae of breast hypertrophy and for a merely subjective aesthetic discomfort.
Although several criteria are currently adopted by the national and international
associations of plastic surgeons, none of them appears to fulfil the aim of objectively
discriminating the functional from cosmetic indications.
An original, simple and synthetic objective criterion was developed at the Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery Department of the University of Pavia using some basic
anthropometric measurements.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Rationing breast reduction surgery.BMJ. 1997; 314: 1045-1046
- The selection of patients for breast reduction: should Health Commission have a say?.Br J Plast Surg. 1999; 52: 118-121
- Breast reduction – rationed or rational?.Br J Plast Surg. 1999; 52: 511
- Managed care's methods for determining coverage of plastic surgery procedures: the example of reduction mammaplasty.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2001; 107: 1234-1240
- The health burden of breast hypertrophy.Plast Reconstr Surg. 2001; 108: 1591-1599
- Reduction mammaplasty: defining medical necessity.Med Decis Making. 2002; 22: 208-217
- Reduction mammaplasty: cosmetic or reconstructive procedure?.Ann Plast Surg. 1991; 27: 232-237
- Priority grouping in a waiting list of patients for reduction mammaplasty.Ann Plast Surg. 1986; 17: 498-502
- (Official website)
- Breast volume and anthropomorphic measurements: normal values.Plast Reconstr Surg. 1986; 78: 331-335
- A method of assessing female breast morphometry and its clinical application.Br J Plast Surg. 1999; 52: 355
- Anthropomorphic breast measurement: protocol and results in 50 women with aesthetically perfect breasts and clinical application.Plast Reconstr Surg. 1997; 100: 468-479
Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 17, 2008
Accepted:
June 17,
2008
Received:
March 15,
2008
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
