24.0: Thursday, March 17, 2005
7635

The Superolateral Pedicle for Breast Surgery: A Review of 1500 Cases

Charles K. Herman, MD, Berish Strauch, Marc Elkowitz, and Thomas Baum.

Purpose: The evolution of procedures for reduction mammaplasty and mastopexy has been ongoing, based on the rich blood supply that has allowed a plethora of pedicle types. With particular consideration of the primary pattern of sensory innervation to the nipple-areola complex, the authors have utilized the superolateral dermoparenchymal pedicle for a wide array of breast morphologies and with differing patterns of skin excision. Methods: The operative technique involves superior rotation of a superolaterally-based dermoparenchymal pedicle, resulting in a “periwinkle” effect that provides desirable superior pole fullness and increased projection to the breast. An algorithm is described for the various procedures utilizing this pedicle. Results: Over 1500 breast procedures have been performed by the senior author during the past 15 years using the superolateral pedicle. Experience has demonstrated that the operation is safe, with total nipple-areola loss observed in only four cases with loss of six nipples (0.2%). Nipple-areola sensibility was evaluated as normal or slightly reduced at a one-year follow-up in 96% of patients. Long-term follow-up to 15 years has shown that the results are maintained well with time. Conclusions: The superolateral dermoparenchymal pedicle is a safe, effective, and versatile technique that has provided long-lasting results for patients.