Abstract
A skin paddle severely impairs the appearance of the reconstructed breast. We have established a new technique called "minimal scar autologous breast reconstruction" involving delayed nipple reconstruction using a local flap designed on the skin paddle and simultaneous resection of the residual skin paddle. METHODS: We analyzed 20 patients with unilateral breast cancer who underwent skin-sparing mastectomy followed by immediate breast reconstruction using a free flap (deep inferior epigastric perforator flap in 13 patients and profunda artery perforator flap in seven). Approximately 1 year after primary reconstruction, nipple reconstruction using an arrow flap designed on the skin paddle and resection of the residual skin paddle were performed. Several months later, medical areola tattooing was performed. Bilateral breast symmetry scores, obtained from the distances between anatomic landmarks, were compared before and after breast reconstruction. RESULTS: Postoperative complications such as necrosis of the reconstructed nipple were not observed after two-stage reconstruction, and all procedures including total resection of the skin paddle, nipple reconstruction, and medical tattooing were performed successfully in all cases. Aesthetic outcomes were excellent: comparison of symmetry scores showed no significant differences in any parameters between before surgery and after reconstruction of the nipple-areola complex. CONCLUSIONS: We have established step-by-step strategies for mastectomy, autologous breast reconstruction, and then nipple reconstruction, keeping in mind that the skin paddle would later be totally resected in nipple reconstruction, and thereby achieved breast reconstruction with markedly reduced postoperative scarring compared with conventional autologous breast reconstruction.