Maximizing breast projection after free-nipple-graft reduction mammaplasty

Preserving the Nipple Projection in Breast Reduction with the Free Nipple-Areolar Graft Technique: Purse-String Suture

BACKGROUND

Breast reduction with the free nipple-areolar graft (FNG) technique has disadvantages such as loss of nipple projection, loss of nipple sensation, and depigmentation of the nipple-areolar complex. In this study, patients in whom a purse-string (PS) suture was used in the center of the de-epithelialized area to prevent loss of nipple projection were compared with patients who underwent the conventional method.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the patients who underwent breast reduction with the FNG was conducted in our department. Patients were divided into two groups according to the FNG placement. In the PS suture method group, a 1-cm-diameter circumferential suture was placed with a 5-0 Monocryl® (poliglecaprone 25) suture to gain a 6-mm-nipple projection. In the conventional method group, the FNG was placed directly over the de-epithelized area. Graft viability was evaluated after 3 weeks postoperatively. The final nipple projection and depigmentation were evaluated after 6 months postoperatively. The results were evaluated with statistical tests.

RESULTS

The number of patients with the conventional method was 10, and the PS suture method was 12. There was no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding graft loss and depigmentation (p > 0.05). Nipple projection was significantly higher in the PS method group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

We observed that PS circumferential suture made an acceptable nipple projection compared to the conventional method in breast reduction with the FNG technique. Since the method is easy to apply and has relatively low risk, it would contribute to clinical practice.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

The Pedicled Robertson Mammaplasty: Minimization of Complications in Obese Patients With Extreme Macromastia

BACKGROUND

Breast reduction for extreme macromastia in obese patients is a potentially high-risk endeavor. Free nipple grafting as well as a variety of pedicled techniques have been advocated for large reductions in obese patients, but the number of different approaches suggests that no single method is ideal. This paper suggests the Robertson Mammaplasty, an inferior pedicle technique characterized by a curvilinear skin extension onto the pedicle, as a potentially favorable approach to this clinical situation.

OBJECTIVES

The author sought to determine the safety of the Pedicled Robertson Mammaplasty for extreme macromastia in obese patients.

METHODS

The records of a single surgeon's practice over a 15-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were a Robertson Mammaplasty performed with a >3000-g total resection and a patient weight at least 20% above ideal body weight. Records were reviewed for patient characteristics, operative times, and complications.

RESULTS

The review yielded 34 bilateral reduction patients that met inclusion criteria. The mean resection weight was 1859.2 g per breast, the mean body mass index was 36.4 kg/m2, and the mean sternal notch-to-nipple distance was 41.4 cm. Mean operative time was 122 minutes. There were no cases of nipple necrosis and no major complications that required reoperation under general anesthesia. A total 26.4% of patients had minor complications that required either local wound care or small office procedures, and 4.4% received small revisions under local anesthesia.

CONCLUSIONS

The Pedicled Robertson Mammaplasty is a fast and safe operation that yields good aesthetic results and a relative minimum of complications in the high-risk group of obese patients with extreme macromastia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4

Breast Reduction: Surgical Techniques with an Emphasis on Evidence-Based Practice and Outcomes

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand the relevant anatomy involved in breast reduction. 2. Understand the different breast reduction techniques and their indications. 3. Appreciate the outcomes of these techniques as they pertain to clinical outcomes.

SUMMARY

This continuing medical education article is designed to refresh one's knowledge on breast reduction while placing emphasis on clinical outcomes. It reviews the relevant anatomy, techniques, and published literature on outcomes, including those that are patient-reported. Photographic representations of most techniques are shown, in addition to supplemental digital video content, to demonstrate each technique. This is designed to be an overview, and the reader should appreciate that no one technique is "right," and the technique used should be selected with patient factors and desired outcomes in mind.

Multiplanar Assembly Mammaplasty Based on the Divine Proportion

BACKGROUND

The study sought to plan mastopexy and breast reduction according to the principle of the divine proportion, represented by the letter phi, via the convergent assembly of multiple layers to create the new breast. This strategy is based on the constancy of the submammary fold and the orientation of the vertex of a V-shaped triangle opening at approximately 60° at the umbilicus, with each branch opening in the direction of the acromioclavicular joint.

METHODS

The strategy was prospectively investigated in 265 patients (n = 530 breasts). The mean patient age was 36 years. The follow-up ranged from 6 months to 3 years.

RESULTS

A total of 220 patients (83%) received a good score (1-4) according to Strasser grading. Complications were few, but included delayed healing with minimal scar ulceration in 19 patients (7%), asymmetry in 16 (6%), and partial nipple necrosis in 4 (1.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

This approach adds precision to mammaplasty, reduces the laxity in the axillary region, promotes bulk in the upper pole, and eases nipple-areola complex elevation.

The short-scar periareolar inferior pedicle reduction technique in severe mammary hypertrophy

BACKGROUND

Reduction mammaplasty in severe mammary hypertrophy is challenging to even the very experienced plastic surgeon. Extremely long pedicles threaten blood supply, and the severely stretched skin envelope is difficult to effectively shape and reduce. In this setting, free-nipple techniques and inverted-T pattern skin resections are often used.

METHODS

A retrospective review of 88 consecutive patients undergoing breast reduction with the removal of at least 1000 g of tissue in at least one breast over a 17-year period was performed. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and complications were noted during routine postoperative care.

RESULTS

One hundred forty breasts in 88 patients were noted to meet the study criteria. The mean body mass index of the patients was 37 kg/m (range, 24 to 57 kg/m), and 89 percent of the patients were categorized as obese. The mean volume of resection was 1336 g (range, 1000 to 3144 g). Mean follow-up was 10 months (range, 1 to 96 months). There was a 16.4 percent incidence of minor delayed healing along with a 2.9 percent incidence of partial areolar necrosis, which was treated conservatively and allowed to heal by secondary intention. There was a 5.7 percent reoperation rate related to excisional biopsy of fat necrosis in 4.3 percent and revision of periareolar scar in 1.4 percent.

CONCLUSION

Combining an inferior pedicle approach with a circumvertical skin pattern in the setting of severe mammary hypertrophy is a safe and effective technique for breast reduction.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic, IV.

The free-nipple breast-reduction technique performed with transfer of the nipple-areola complex over the superior or superomedial pedicles

BACKGROUND

Although the free-nipple breast-reduction technique is essentially an amputation, achieving aesthetic results still is important. The authors present their technique for free nipple-areola complex (NAC) transfer over the superomedial or superior pedicle full-thickness flaps in patients for whom a free-nipple technique is inevitable due to certain risk factors.

METHODS

The study included 25 patients who underwent surgery with the aforementioned method for addressing severe gigantomastia. The patients had a mean age of 43 years (range 34-59 years) and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 35.8 kg/m(2) (range 28-42 kg/m(2)). During the operation, the NAC was elevated as a full-thickness skin graft, then transposed to the superior or superomedial pedicles, which had been planned previously. The subsequent stages of the operation thus became a Wise-pattern breast reduction.

RESULTS

The mean resection per breast was 1,815 g (range 1,620-2,410 g). Breast projection, shape, and areolar pigmentation were assessed during the follow-up visit. One patient experienced a partial loss of the NAC graft, which healed secondarily, and three patients experienced a patchy hypopigmentation of the NAC. Breast projection and conical structure were observed to be preserved during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

The modified free-nipple technique aimed to convert the reduction procedure to a technique similar to pedicle methods, yielding successful results during the early phases. The full-thickness flap constructed in this way provides more fullness and a maximum contribution to projection in patients who will inevitably undergo breast reduction with the free-nipple method.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

One-stage breast reconstruction using the inferior dermal flap, implant, and free nipple graft

BACKGROUND

An inferior dermal flap with implant is a useful option for women hoping for immediate breast reconstruction. This one-stage procedure uses autologous tissue as an inferolateral local sling, avoiding the costs and potential morbidity of prosthetic mesh and reducing valuable operating time. Patient comorbidity or choice may restrict autologous reconstruction options available. Many patients will still require a second procedure for subsequent nipple reconstruction and further appointments and costs for tattooing.

METHOD

A prospective database was kept of a single surgeon's experience with 16 patients (19 breasts) from 2010 to 2012. Reconstruction was performed following a Wise pattern skin incision. An inferior, deepithelialized dermal sling was sutured to the pectoralis major to form a pocket for a silicone implant or tissue expander. A free nipple graft was sited at the time of reconstruction, with biopsies taken from retroareolar tissue.

RESULTS

Patient average age was 54 years (range 36-66). Six mastectomies were for ductal carcinoma in situ, 6 for invasive carcinoma, 2 for lobular carcinoma, and 5 of 19 mastectomies were prophylactic. Average operative time was 165 min. There were no immediate complications requiring reoperation. All retroareolar biopsies were benign and no locoregional recurrences have occurred. Two nipples had partial necrosis of the lower pole but healed with conservative treatment. No patients required any subsequent procedures to their reconstructed breast.

CONCLUSION

The inferior dermal flap with implant and free nipple graft is an excellent single-stage reconstruction option. This method offers a potentially safe, reliable, and aesthetically acceptable outcome for women with larger, ptotic breasts.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

An autoprosthesis technique for better breast projection in free nipple graft reduction mammaplasty

BACKGROUND

Reduction mammaplasty for macromastia provides relief from uncomfortable symptoms and improves self-confidence and the ability to participate in sports activities. Reduction mammaplasty using the free nipple graft technique may result in bottoming-out deformity and a lack of upper-pole projection. We describe a modified breast reduction technique that combines the Graf and Thorek methods.

METHODS

We operated on 26 patients with gigantomastia using this novel technique. Preoperative markings were planned according to the classic Thorek amputation technique using a Wise pattern. A 10-cm × 14-cm pyramidal inferior-based dermoglandular flap was prepared, passed under a transverse pectoral muscle loop, and then back-folded over the pectoral loop, thereby establishing an autoprosthesis to increase upper-pole fullness and prevent bottoming-out deformity.

RESULTS

The average weight of the removed breast tissue was 1,634 g (range = 1,120-2,140 g) for the right breast and 1,630 g (range = 1,110-2,120 g) for the left breast. The average follow-up period was 22 months (range = 11-37 months). All samples were pathologically assessed. Minor complications included wound breakdown at the T-junction, fat necrosis, hypertrophic scarring, and partial necrosis of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). Loss of nipple projection and partial hypopigmentation of the NAC occurred in most patients. Mild glandular ptosis was observed in two patients, with no flattening or deflation, but no severe bottoming-out deformity was observed during long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

All patients were happy with their new bra size, breast projection, and breast weight. Our combined autoprosthesis technique resulted in satisfactory long-term breast projection and upper-pole fullness.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Reduction mammaplasty using the free-nipple-graft vertical technique for severe breast hypertrophy: improved outcomes with the superior dermaglandular flap

BACKGROUND

Management of severe mammary hypertrophy is a challenge. The limitations of most dermal pedicle techniques include insufficient breast projection with severe hypertrophy. The authors have designed a free-nipple-graft vertical technique with a superior demaglandular flap to provide acceptable breast projection and an attractive, smooth breast contour for patients with severe hypertrophy and gigantomastia who are not suitable for pedicle breast reduction techniques.

METHODS

Reduction was performed for 24 patients with severe mammary hypertrophy between 2003 and 2009. This study evaluated patient age, cup size, mean distances from sternal notch to nipple and from nipple to inframammary fold, amount of resection, complications, and postoperative breast shape.

RESULTS

All 24 patients were followed regularly to 1 year postoperatively. The inclusion criteria for the reported technique specified gigantomastia larger than 1,000 g per side, grade 4 breast ptosis, and increased sternal notch-to-nipple distance. The mean distance from the sternal notch to the nipple was 48.5 cm, and the mean distance from the nipple to the inframammary fold was 19.5 cm. The new nipple was positioned at a mean of 23.5 cm. The tissue excised per breast was 1,670 g. All the patients had long-lasting, pronounced nipple and adequate breast mound projection with attractive, smooth breast contours.

CONCLUSION

A free-nipple graft with a superior dermaglandular flap yields a conical breast with adequate projection and fullness. Parenchyma sutures to the pectoral fascia provide long lasting results. Plastic surgeons experienced in superior pedicle breast reduction can adopt this technique easily.

The Graf/Biggs flap to increase upper pole projection in breast reductions with free nipple grafts

BACKGROUND

Macromastia necessitating breast reduction with free nipple grafts often results in a breast shape that lacks upper pole projection. This study aimed to describe and review the experience with use of the Graf/Biggs flap to improve upper pole fullness in patients requiring breast reductions with free nipple grafts.

METHODS

A retrospective review evaluated patients treated by the senior author who had breast reductions with free nipple grafts and simultaneous use of the Graf/Biggs flap. Reduction amount, aesthetic result, and complications including hematoma, seroma, infection, fat necrosis, wound breakdown, and nipple hypopigmentation were studied.

RESULTS

A total of six patients, with an average follow-up period of 22 months, underwent breast reductions with free nipple grafts and simultaneous use of the Graf/Biggs flap. The average reduction amount was 2,583 g per side. There were no complications except for some early wound breakdowns at the lower T incision of the inframammary fold. These wounds resolved with local care. All the patients exhibited hypopigmentation of the grafted nipples and desirable breast shape, with excellent upper pole projection. All were universally happy with their result.

CONCLUSION

The Graf/Biggs flap is a reliable technique for increasing upper pole projection in the patient requiring breast reduction with free nipple grafts.

[Large breast hypertrophy and gigantomastia management by postero-inferior pedicle reduction technique. About 20 cases]

The authors present a retrospective study about 20 patients operated for important breast hypertrophy and gigantomastia by the postero-inferior reduction technique. They compare the results obtained by this technique on the breast (projection, breast-feeding) and on the nipple-areola complex (sensibility, pigmentation, nipple projection), with those obtained by the Thorek technique (free nipple grafting). The authors show that this technique is reliable for such breasts hypertrophies, with good esthetics results, and avoid free nipple grafting.

Maximizing Breast Projection with Combined Free Nipple Graft Reduction Mammaplasty and Back-folded Dermaglandular Inferior Pedicle

Standard technique for free nipple reduction mammoplasty was described by Thorek in 1922. In contrast to its effectiveness, late postoperative results included insufficient projection of the breast and the nipple-areola region. We describe a modification of this well recognized technique in order to increase central mound projection and improve nipple-areola projection by suturing the dermaglandular flap to the pectoralis major muscle by back-folding the pedicle. Twenty macromastia patients were subjected to free-nipple-graft reduction mammoplasty in combination with inferior pedicled dermaglandular reduction mammaplasty of a total of 40 breasts with this technique between years 2000 and 2004. Preoperative planning for inferior pedicled dermaglandular flap was made using the "Wise" pattern for large breasts. The variation of the technique comes from using the back-folded deepithelialized inferior pedicled dermaglandular flap for increasing the breast mound projection by fixating the demaglandular flap with absorbable sutures to the underlying pectoralis major muscle fascia and the costal cartilage pericondrium. By applying this technique, increased projection during the early preoperative and late postoperative periods are achieved, compared with patients who only underwent free-nipple- graft reduction mammoplasty.

Modified Wise Pattern Skin Reduction for Plexiform Neurofibromatosis of the Breast

Von Recklinhausen's neurofibromatosis is an autosomal dominant condition occurring typically with café au lait patches, axillary freckling, multiple fibromata, and Lisch nodules. We present a case of a 36-year-old female who presented with severe neurofibromatosis involving the lower half of the breast. The patient was not keen on mastectomy and pedicle flap reconstruction. A modified wise pattern incision was employed to remove the lower half of the breast and neurofibromatosis leading to a reasonable result.

Familial severe gigantomastia and reduction with the free nipple graft vertical mammoplasty technique: report of two cases

BACKGROUND

: Gigantomastia, characterized by massive breast enlargement during adolescence or pregnancy, is thought to be caused by an abnormal and excessive end organ response to a normal hormonal milieu. The amputation technique with the free nipple-areola graft is the mainstay for severe macromastia, but it has been criticized because it results in a flattened, nonaesthetic breast with poor projection. This report presents two sisters with unusual, excessive breast enlargement.

METHODS

: The measured distance from the sternal notch to the nipple was 50 cm for the first case and 55 cm for the second case. The free nipple graft transplantation based on the vertical mammoplasty technique was used, and an average of 4,200 g of breast tissue per breast was removed. To increase breast projection, superior dermoglandular flaps were used

RESULTS

: The follow-up period was 24 months. The patients had long-lasting, pronounced breast mound projection, and the level of satisfaction for both cases was very high.

CONCLUSION

The ideal geometric structure of the breast is rather conical, and the authors believe that reshaping the breast tissue in a vertical plane using the vertical mammoplasty technique may be more effective in the long term and may provide better projection.

Modified free nipple graft reduction mammaplasty to increase breast projection with superior and inferior dermoglandular flaps

Classic free nipple graft reduction mammaplasty often yields flat, boxy breasts with poor projection. The authors modified this technique using superior and inferior pyramidal dermoglandular flaps to increase the fullness and projection of the breast. Six patients (12 breasts) with gigantomastia underwent breast reduction by this method. The results were aesthetically pleasing, with conically shaped breasts and good projection. The technique is easy to perform and it is possible to switch from pedicled nipple-areolar transposition to this method intraoperatively in patients in whom perfusion of the nipple is questionable.