This is my first posting on Lactnet. I am Roseann Guillermo, an RN and
IBCLC in a 150 bed hospital in Thibodaux, La. I recently employed a 42
yr. old Spanish woman to help me clean in my home.She decribed her
breast reduction that she had 20 years ago at an American army based
hospital in London. This procedure was done as part of research at that
time. A large bore needle attatched to a  syringe was introduced into
her nipple and slowly the physician extracted small amounts of tissue,
blood and fat until the syringe was filled. At the same time he massaged
the entire breast while he repeated this painful procedure over and over
again. The breasts were anesthetized locally prior to the procedure.
When finished the breasts were bound tightly.Every 3 mo. the procedure
was repeated for the following yr. She developed a mastitis following
the second attempt and was placed on antibiotics. She has no evidence of
any trauma on the outside of her breasts. She is about 5 ft. tall and
weighed 96 lbs. and wore a 32 DD bra before the procedure and now weighs
110 lbs. and wears a 34 B. Her breasts appear symmetrical with no excess
skin and are firm. She had the procedure done at age 22 because she
wanted to look good in a bikini. She was unsuccessful with nursing her 2
children, producing very little milk. She was told the fat that was
extracted would be used for someone else in the research program?? When
I mentioned this to a plastic surgeon on our staff he was aware of this
type of liposuction reduction on breasts from the literature being done
in Europe awhile back but mentioned the trauma to the ducts and tissues
causes severe fibrotic reaction and later calcification which would be
difficult to interpret on a mammogram.Is anyone aware of this procedure
and if it is currently being done? Thanks, Roseann