On June 5, 2023, a Massachusetts medical malpractice jury returned its verdict in the amount of $981,000 (including $21,000 in special damages) for botched breast reduction surgery, and subsequent revision surgery, that left the plaintiff with nipples that were too high and therefore were exposed when she wore a bikini, low-cut blouse, or a bra. The revision surgery also left her with scarring. The plaintiff had demanded $500,000 before trial to settle her claim, but the defendant surgeon rejected her settlement demand.
The plaintiff alleged that the defendant surgeon was running late for her surgery and failed to preoperatively mark the new location for her nipples. The defendant used the inverted-T breast reduction technique for the plaintiff’s surgery.
A high nipple is very common, present in at least 1 breast in 41.9% of published mammaplasties (breast reduction surgeries). In mastopexies and breast reductions, nipple over-elevation is usually caused by (1) the inverted-T technique, a design that over-elevates the nipple, and (2) preoperative marking of the planned nipple position. Preoperative marking commits the surgeon to a nipple level before the new breast mound is formed. Nipple over-elevation may be avoided by (1) using the vertical technique and (2) determining nipple level after breast mound creation and locating the new nipple site at or just below the apex.
Inverted-T Breast Reduction
According to the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, breast reduction surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure using general anesthesia or intravenous sedation with local anesthesia. After making the incisions using one of the various techniques, the surgeon will remove excess breast tissue, fat, and skin, moving the nipple/areola complex to a higher, more forward position on the chest. The remaining breast tissue and skin will be reshaped and closed with dissolvable sutures. The areolas can be reduced to a more proportional size during the procedure as well.
The inverted-T breast reduction involves 3 incisions: one around the edge of the areola, one vertically from the areola to the breast crease, and one made along the crease underneath the breast. Because this technique allows for the maximum degree of tissue removal and reshaping, cosmetic surgeons will typically use this approach if a patient needs a more significant breast size reduction and/or has considerable sagging or asymmetry to correct.
The scars resulting from an inverted-T or anchor breast reduction are similar to those from a vertical reduction, with one additional, thin scar running along the crease beneath the breast. With proper care, scars typically fade considerably over the first year or so after surgery and are easily concealed by clothing, even a bikini top.
Final results from breast reduction surgery will be more or less in place after about 2 to 3 months. However, subtle changes may be noticed for the first 6 to 12 months.
If you or a loved one were harmed as a result of an outpatient cosmetic surgery procedure in Massachusetts or elsewhere in the United States that may be due to medical negligence, you should consult with a Massachusetts medical malpractice lawyer, or a medical malpractice lawyer in your U.S. state, who may investigate your cosmetic surgery claim for you and represent you or your loved one in a cosmetic surgery malpractice case, if appropriate.
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