Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2000 00:46:03 -0500

Breast Lift after Implant Removal is Safe and

Beneficial Plastic Surgery

Study Shows

Embargo For Release

October 25, 1999

Contact: Media Relations

(847) 228-9900

NEW ORLEANS - A breast lift (mastopexy) is safe and beneficial when performed immediately following breast implant removal, according to a study presented today, October 25, at the 68th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in New Orleans. Until now, it was thought that immediate mastopexy on the thin breast tissue might compromise the blood circulation. The new study investigated the complications of performing a breast lift immediately following removal of breast implants.

"Many patients benefit aesthetically from a breast lift procedure following implant removal," said William W. Shaw, MD, UCLA School of Medicine, Division of Plastic Surgery. "Our results show that performing the mastopexy immediately after implant removal is safe and should be offered to all suitable patients."

The study included 174 consecutive patients (348 breasts) who underwent breast lift on both sides immediately following implant removal. Of those removed, 16 percent were ruptured and 84 percent were not ruptured. Ten of the patients had undergone a previous breast lift. Only one patient experienced a major complication involving tissue loss and infection in the nipple area. Minor complications occurred in 25 (14 percent) of the patients. The study showed that breast thickness did not affect the outcome of the breast lift procedure, and there was no difference in major or minor complication rates between patients with thicker and thinner breast tissue.

The study concluded that immediate breast lift following implant removal is safe, and that breast thickness is not a predictor of complications. While outcome of the surgery may be affected by previous surgical scar or degree of correction required to lift the breasts, the procedure offers superior aesthetic results for appropriate patients.

ASPS represents 97 percent of all physicians certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS). ASPS members also include physicians certified in plastic surgery by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. By choosing an ASPS member plastic surgeon, patients are assured that the physician has graduated from an accredited medical school and completed at least five years of additional residency, usually three years of general surgery and two years of plastic surgery. To be certified by ABPS, a physician must also practice plastic surgery for two years and pass comprehensive written and oral examinations. Consumers can call the Plastic Surgery Information Service at 1-800-635-0635 or access the ASPS web site at www.plasticsurgery.org to find a plastic surgeon in their area.