Back to 2024 Abstracts
Marijuana Consumption and Its Implications on Breast Reduction Surgery: A Comparative Effective Analysis of Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life
Jane N. Ewing
*, Chris Amro, Ashley E. Chang, Zachary Gala, Mehdi S. Lemdani, Robyn B. Broach, John P. Fischer, Joseph Serletti, Said Azoury
Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
BACKGROUND: With marijuana use on the rise, its influence on surgical outcomes, particularly for breast reduction, warrants investigation. This study aims to clarify marijuana's effects on breast reduction surgery outcomes, given its limited research focus despite potential perioperative implications. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted from 2016-2022 of patients with/without marijuana use undergoing breast reduction. Propensity-score matching considered age, BMI, ptosis, and breast tissue mass. Patient demographics, clinical attributes, and postoperative details were analyzed. Quality of life (QoL) changes were gauged using pre- and postoperative BREAST-Q. RESULTS: Of 415 patients who underwent breast reduction, 140 patients documented marijuana use. After propensity matching, a total of 108 patients (54 marijuana users vs 54 non-users) were analyzed. The average age was 39 years ± 12 and BMI 30.1kg/m2 ± 5.3. There were no differences between the two groups in comorbidities, breast symmetry, excision patterns, pedicle use, or drain count (p>0.05). Furthermore, surgical outcomes including surgical site occurrences (SSO), scarring, pain levels, hypersensitivity, or sensation loss were comparable between the groups (p>0.05). There were also no differences in number of readmissions, reoperations, or emergency department visits (p>0.05). Both groups showed enhanced postoperative QoL, regardless of marijuana usage. CONCLUSION: This study indicates marijuana use does not significantly impact breast reduction surgery outcomes. Comparable surgical results and postoperative QoL improvements were observed in both marijuana users and non-users. This study provides surgeons with the knowledge to offer more informed patient counseling regarding the implications of marijuana use in relation to breast reduction procedures.
| No Marijuana Use (N=54) | Marijuana Use (N=54) | Total (N=108) | p value |
Surgical Site Occurrences | 29 (53.7%) | 27 (50.0%) | 56 (51.9%) | 0.85 |
Surgical Site Infection | 1 (1.9%) | 0 | 1 (0.9%) | 1.00 |
Cellulitis | 1 (1.9%) | 4 (7.4%) | 5 (4.6%) | 0.21 |
Seroma | 0 | 2 (3.7%) | 2 (1.9%) | 0.24 |
Hematoma | 3 (5.7%) | 4 (7.4%) | 7 (6.5%) | 1.00 |
Dehiscence | 1 (1.9%) | 4 (7.4%) | 5 (4.6%) | 0.21 |
NAC Necrosis | 0 | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (0.9%) | 0.50 |
Fat Necrosis | 2 (3.8%) | 2 (3.7%) | 4 (3.7%) | 1.00 |
Delayed Healing | 12 (22.2%) | 11 (20.4%) | 23 (21.3%) | 1.00 |
T-point Breakdown | 14 (25.9%) | 13 (24.1%) | 27 (25.0%) | 1.00 |
Wide Scar | 4 (7.5%) | 7 (13.0%) | 11 (10.3%) | 1.00 |
Keloid | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (1.9%) | 2 (1.9%) | 1.00 |
Pain | 0 | 1 (1.9%) | 1 (0.9%) | 1.00 |
Numbness | 0 | 3 (5.6%) | 3 (2.8%) | 0.33 |
Readmissions | 0 | 3 (5.6%) | 3 (2.8%) | 0.24 |
Reoperations | 4 (7.4%) | 6 (11.1%) | 10 (9.3%) | 0.74 |
Emergency Department | 3 (5.6%) | 7 (13.0%) | 10 (9.3%) | 0.32 |
A table of postoperative outcomes between marijuana and no marijuana cohort.
Back to 2024 Abstracts