1. Nipple-sparing skin-reducing mastectomy with reconstruction for large ptotic breasts.
- Author
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Kontos M, Lanitis S, Constantinidou A, Sakarellos P, Vagios E, Tampaki EC, Tampakis A, and Fragoulis M
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Nipples, Organ Size, Breast abnormalities, Breast pathology, Breast surgery, Dermatologic Surgical Procedures methods, Hypertrophy surgery, Mammaplasty methods, Mastectomy, Subcutaneous methods
- Abstract
Background: Breast reconstruction is routinely used to alleviate the psychological adverse effects of mastectomy. Nipple preservation further improves the cosmetic result, and causes less trauma on the body surface. Nipple-sparing mastectomy, however, comes with challenges, especially in the case of large, ptotic breasts to the degree that large-sized breasts have conventionally been a contraindication for nipple preservation. In this report, we describe a novel technique for nipple preservation in immediate reconstruction of large, ptotic breasts., Methods: From 2013 to 2018, 24 patients (30 breasts) with large, ptotic breasts were treated with mastectomy and immediate reconstruction with nipple preservation. Median BMI was 28 and 8 patients were smokers. The technique involves the de-epithelialisation of a large area of the breast skin, the mastectomy through a lateral full-thickness incision within the de-epithelialised area, imbrication of the de-epithelialised skin, lifting of the nipple to a higher position and finally closure of wound., Results: There were no full, 4 partial nipple necroses and 3 re-operations were done under local anaesthetic to correct partial peripheral necrosis of the areola. Six patients needed seroma aspiration and 4 presented with cellulitis. No implants were lost and there were no delays to adjuvant treatment., Conclusions: The proposed technique has significant advantages and may be ideal when large skin reductions are necessary in immediate breast reconstruction with nipple preservation. The low complication rate makes the method ideal when adjuvant treatment is to follow and/or patients are of high risk for surgical complications., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare NO CONFLICT OF INTEREST and received NO FUNDING for the present manuscript., (Copyright © 2019 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2020
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