Teng E, Broer PN, Heidekrueger PI, Forte AJ, Lentz R, Durand P, Raghu A, Kwei S. In vivo changes of breast perfusion after augmentation. Aesthet Surg J. 2016;36(10):1133-1140. doi: 10.1093/asj/sjw139
Disclosure
Dr. Epstein is a paid investigator in the Motiva U.S. FDA clinical trial and is compensated by Establishment Labs to train surgeons on the Preservé breast augmentation technique. He discloses this relationship in all public communications involving Motiva or Preservé. Dr. Epstein owns stock in Establishment Labs.
What This Study Found
Using detailed MRI imaging, researchers compared blood vessel size and position around the nipple and areola in 10 women with breast implants against 15 women without. Blood supply to the nipple and areola held up well after augmentation, and the blood vessels on the outer side of the breast actually appeared to grow slightly larger after surgery.
Key Findings
- 20 augmented breasts compared to 30 non-augmented breasts, all imaged with high-resolution MRI
- No meaningful difference in the size of the inner-side blood vessels between groups
- Outer-side blood vessels trended about 20% larger in augmented breasts
- Distance between the nipple and the nearest blood vessels increased slightly, consistent with the tissue stretching that comes with added volume
- Overall conclusion: blood supply to the nipple and areola is preserved after augmentation
Why This Matters for Preservé Patients
This is reassurance-level evidence for a common patient concern (will implants cut off blood flow to the nipple), independent of surgical technique. Good as a supporting citation on a page addressing safety questions generally.
