Volumetric estimation in breast surgery

Effect of postoperative radiotherapy on autologous deep inferior epigastric perforator flap volume after immediate breast reconstruction

“…Volume change in this study was assessed objectively using mammometry11 to address significant methodological shortcomings in previously published studies1, 5. Intraoperative data on the flap reconstructions, all performed by a single team, were also collected to allow analysis of volume change over time with or without radiotherapy.…”

“…At the research clinic, objective volumetric assessment of the reconstruction and contralateral breast was performed using a Morris mammometer11. Assessors were blinded to the presence of radiotherapy tattoos by marking all patients with a black dot (at the site of the tattoo) on the chest wall at the usual site of a radiotherapy tattoo.…”

“…First described by Morris in 197811, mammometry has been validated as an objective method of breast volume assessment using a simple, portable, calibrated, perspex cylinder of 14·5 cm in diameter with a piston ( Fig. ).…”

“…Postradiotherapy volume loss has been assessed by observed difference, physical examination, review of photographs5 or ‘flap shrinkage or flap contracture’9 but not objective volume assessment measurement, although techniques exist11. Even without such objective assessment other investigators have showed no detrimental effects of postreconstruction radiotherapy, at least for TRAM flaps12–15.…”

Surface Area Measurement of the Female Breast: Phase I. Validation of a Novel Optical Technique

“…16 -21 These methods involve contact with the breast and distortion thereof. Others have purposely distorted the breasts to aid in volume measurement [22][23][24] with questionable validity. 15,25 Noncontact methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging, 26,27 stereo photography, 11,12,28 -31 and laser scanning, 27 are limited by expense and the need for a precise geometric apparatus.…”