Wound Dressing and Postoperative Complications Following Breast Reduction: A Retrospective Study of 250 Patients.

Background: Postoperative wound dressings are routine but understudied in reduction mammaplasty. Although an ideal dressing should promote healing, limit infection, and be well-tolerated, practice varies widely without consensus. Objectives: This study compares the impact of dressings on postoperative outcomes following reduction mammaplasty. Methods: A single-institution, retrospective review was performed of reduction mammaplasty patients. Data included demographics, operative details, dressing type, and complications. Dressings included Dermabond (DER), Prineo (PRI), Histoacryl (HIS), Sylke (SYL), Steri-Strips (STE), and combinations (COM). Contralateral breasts in oncoplastic or free-flap cases were excluded. Results: A total of 250 patients (439 breasts) were included. At baseline, cohorts differed in BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologist class, diabetes, operative time, and resection weight (all Conclusions: Dressing selection may affect wound outcomes after reduction mammaplasty. SYL tape was associated with lower rates of skin reaction and dehiscence across both analyses, although potentially limited by residual confounding. PRI's association with reoperation and poor scarring is notable but difficult to disentangle from patient selection bias. Combination dressings showed lower skin reaction rates but were heterogeneous, making interpretation challenging. Prospective data are needed to confirm these findings. Level of Evidence 3 Therapeutic: For image description, please refer to the figure legend and surrounding text.