ABSTRACT
Skin circulation within the nipple-areola complex and the area of skin directly was similar, but significantly lower blood flow to an area of skin 2 cm below the nipple-areola complex was seen, but only when this was measured by fluorescein flowmetry. Early attempts at nipple preservation extrapolated from routine incisions for skin-sparing mastectomy. In contrast to a complete circumareolar incision with removal of the nipple-areola complex, an incision involving part of the circumference with lateral extension was often used. Nipple-sparing mastectomy was performed either through the vertical limb or the inframammary fold scar and implant-based reconstruction was carried out at the same time. Simultaneous mastopexy and nipple-sparing mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction has been reported in the literature with variable success. L. F. Schneider and colleagues describe the process for an immediate free-flap reconstruction with subsequent skin reduction 4–6 months after nipple-sparing mastectomy.
