The effect of abdominoplasty and mammaplasty procedures on body posture and low back pain

Women with abnormally large breasts have, due to the mass effect, a shift of their body?s balance center and an increase in their spinal curvatures. The resultant pressure posteior to the intervertebral disks lead to neck, back and low back pain. On the other hand, patients with large and flaccid abdomen complain of neck, back and low back pain as a result of increased lomber lordosis, decreased muscle strength, an imbalance between extensor and flexor muscles and decreased spinal mobility. Many patients try losing weight, using supporting bras or corset, taking medications or physical exercises in order to relieve their pain, however, none of these offer an effective and long lasting relief.In this study, 80 patients, 40 of whom went under reduction mammaplasty and 40 under abdominoplasty, were analyzed retrospectively for preoperative and postoperative cervical lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, lumbosacral angle and lomber axis. A comparison of several physical and psychological complaints, due to large breasts and abdomen, was thus achieved. We consider that abdominoplasty accompanied by mammaplasty or rectus plication, may improve thoracic kyphosis, lomber lordosis and lumbosacral angle. Macromastia and abdominal lipodystorphy are not sole cosmetic problems, they both relate with physical and psychological problems; hence we believe that reduction mammaplasty and abdominoplasty operations should be regarded as orthopedic surgical procedures, rather than simple aesthetic procedures.