Mastopexy with Simultaneous Renuvion Treatment, Pilot Study to Evaluate Safety.

Goals/Purpose: The goal of the study was to evaluate the safety of Renuvion treatments simultaneously as mastopexy surgical procedures. Mastopexy augmentations have always been a challenging procedure for plastic surgeons as the volume is being increased while the skin envelope is decreased. Various techniques have been explored to enhance the longevity of the mastopexy results. These techniques range from mesh placement and glandular pillar suspension with various levels of success. Renuvion is radio frequency energy that is used to cause soft tissue coagulation and in 2022 was approved by the FDA for treatment of skin laxity of the neck. The study was designed as a pilot to evaluate the safety in simultaneous mastopexy with radiofrequency energy application. Subsequent studies will evaluate the long-term effectiveness of these novel combination therapies.

Methods/Technique: A retrospective study was conducted on fifteen consecutive patients. Patients underwent a mastopexy augmentation with simultaneous Renuvion treatment of the breast flaps. Patients received 3 Joules of radiofrequency energy to each breast during the mastopexy. All patients had wise pattern central mound mastopexy with a dual plane breast implant placement. Patients were evaluated for any skin necrosis or wound healing issues during their postoperative period. Patients on average were followed for 109 days, with a range of 16 - 269 days.

Results/Complications: Fifteen consecutive women were included in the retrospective study. Patient evaluation for wound healing concerns showed 1/15 (7%) of patients had delayed wound healing. This patient healed with local wound care. No patients needed subsequent surgeries for wound healing concerns. Patients on average were followed for 109 days, with a range of 16 - 269 days.

Conclusion: The use of 3 joules per breast of Renuvion Radiofrequency energy was found to be safe when used simultaneously during a mastopexy surgery. This is the first step in proving long-term results of mastopexy augmentation surgeries. Future studies will evaluate the effectiveness of radiofrequency energy in long-term skin tightening of the breasts.