Vertical Scar Versus Inferior Pedicle Reduction Mammoplasty

You may not qualify if:

• Unilateral Breast Hypertrophy
• Patients under the age of 18 years
• Inability to complete questionnaires due to language problems
• Bilateral mastopexy (breast lift)
• Previous breast reduction surgery
• Patients who will require greater than 1000 grams to be removed from either breast (to be assessed by the Archimedes principle\* preoperatively; patients who by the Archimedes principle displace 1400 cc of volume will be excluded from the study)
• Pre-operative radiation after lumpectomy
• If another procedure is to be "piggy backed' to the reduction mammoplasty (e.g. liposuction to breast or elsewhere, abdominoplasty, etc)
• The Archimedes principle is as follows: In the privacy of her bathroom the patient will immerse each breast separately into a large pot filled to the brim with tap water. The breast will displace some of the water which will be collected into another larger container e.g. plastic dish pan placed underneath the pot. The patient will be asked to measure the volume of the displaced water in ml. The volume that will be displaced will approximate the weight of the breast. The measurement will be done 3 times and the average for each breast will be recorded.
• (The surgeon will explain this principle only to those patients where there is uncertainty whether the resection will exceed 1000 grams. For the rest of the patients this is not necessary.)