REDUCTION MAMMAPLASTY Nipple-Areola Survival on a Single Breast Quadrant

Abstract

Fear of nipple loss has understandably dictated the numerous techniques described and practiced in reduction mammaplasty with nipple transposition. Preservation of dermal pedicles and resection of predetermined quadrants of the breast have been designed, based on the blood supply of the nipple to insure its viability. Over a 14-year period, we have done reduction mammaplasties with transposition of the nipple, but without preservation of dermal pedicles, which involved resection of 3 out of 4 breast quadrants. This technique requires the nipple to survive on a single breast quadrant, but it has not led to any nipple necrosis. The procedure allows great versatility in doing the reduction mammaplasty. Attempts in this direction have been made before by others, notably Joseph ¹and Biesenberger.² Their methods consisted of resecting a predetermined portion of the breast. Aufricht³ modified the technique by removing various segments, relying primarily on preoperative “geometric planning.”