The main objective is to prevent skin and gland necrosis in revision breast surgery.
Methods: We performed a retrospective comparative analysis of 33 patients undergoing secondary breast surgery between 2018 and 2021 by a single surgeon (M.S.). Breast tissue perfusion was assessed in 16 patients by intraoperative ICG-angiography at the end of implant removal and possible capsulectomy. Non-stained/non-fluorescent areas were judged to be low perfusion areas and were excised with short scar mastopexy.
Results: In the ICG-angiography group, 7 patients (44%) showed an area of poor perfusion along the inferior pole, all of these patients underwent subglandular breast augmentation. Resection of the poor perfusion areas allowed an uneventful postoperative course. In the non ICG-angiography group (17 patients), 5 patients experienced vertical scar dehiscence/necrosis.
We found a statistically significant association between non-ICG angiography group and vertical scar dehiscence/necrosis, and also between vertical scar dehiscence/necrosis and subglandular implant placement (P-value = 0.04).