‘Normal’ breast dimensions in obese women – reference values and the effect of weight loss,

Background Breast hypertrophy may cause significant suffering, such as back-, and breast pain, painful shoulder groves, and eczemas. Furthermore, women with breast hypertrophy might have lower quality of life than women without breast hypertrophy. Although 50% of women undergoing breast reduction in the US have a BMI > 30kg/m2, the current standard of normality is based on studies focusing on women <40 years of age and BMIs < 25kg/m2. This study aimed to present reference values for breast measurements for women with obesity and to investigate the relationship between BMI loss and each breast measurement. Materials and methods One hundred and six women underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in Gothenburg, Sweden. The participants' breast anthropometrics were measured before and after bariatric surgery and their perception of the skin on their breasts was measured with the Sahlgrenska Excess Skin Questionnaire. Results Breast volume, sternal notch to nipple (SNN) distance, and ptosis increase significantly with increasing BMI. For instance, women with a BMI between 30-34.9kg/m2 have a mean breast volume of about 770ml, between a BMI of 40-44.9 about 1150ml, and above a BMI of 50 about 1400ml. Furthermore, the percental change in respective breast measurements relative to percental BMI change can be predicted, for instance, with a 20% loss in BMI, breast volume, SNN-distance, and ptosis decrease by 25%, 4%, and 20% respectively. Conclusions This article presents the first standard of normality for breast anthropometrics for women with obesity and a model for predicting change in breast anthropometrics relative to BMI.