Goals/Purpose:
Some women undergoing breast surgery consider the lateral extension of the breast including the transverse sub-axillary fold of skin and fat, as part of their breast. This area has not been previously described in the literature as an aesthetic sub-unit of the breast. The goal of our study is to further define the aesthetic subunits of the breast, in particular, to determine if the transverse sub-axillary fold (TSAF) should be included.
Methods/Technique:
Following IRB approval, a questionnaire was administered preoperatively to all female patients in our plastic surgery practice with plans to undergo breast surgery. Patients were asked to identify – on a schematic drawing – the points at which their breast begins and ends. They were also asked to identify “the most bothersome” portion of their breast. Five vertical zones were marked on the schematic drawing of the chest. This broke the breast into three zones: medial, central, lateral and broke TSAF into two zones: anterior and posterior. The survey results were compiled and analyzed.
Results/Complications:
A total of 15 questionnaires were completed in this study over a 4 week period. Thirteen out of the fifteen (86.7%) identified the lateral extent of their breast as ending within the sub-axillary portion of the chest. Only two patients stated their breast ended in an area we would traditionally call the lateral extent of the breast. The patients rated how bothersome the zone of their chest was (with a #1 being problem free and a # 10 being the most bothersome): the medial breast average 3.6, the central breast 4.7, the lateral breast 5.0, the anterior TSAF 5.2, and the posterior TSAF a 4.83.
Conclusion:
This study indicates that most women undergoing breast surgery consider the TSAF as part of their breast, and is often the most bothersome area on their chest.