Reduction mammaplasty with a central and/or inferior pedicle

Objective: To evaluate the results of reduction mammoplasty with a central and/or inferior pedicle. Methods: We reviewed 89 breasts in 50 patients operated on over a 30-month period. Three patients underwent oncoplastic procedures and 11 had reductio n mammoplasties to match the contralateral breast. Results: The cosmetic results were good. The average amount of tissue remov ed per breast was 527 g (range, 36 -1574g). The complication rate was 5.6 % . There was one partial necrosis of the areola, which resolved with conserv ative treatment. No patient developed total nipple-areola necrosis. There w as one postoperative infection. In general the scars were not visible. One patient had a slight separation at the junction of the inverted T. Conclusions: The advantages of reduction mammoplasty with a central and/or inferior pedicle include the latitude to resect breast tissue wherever requ ired, final placement of the nipple at the end of the operation, and the ab ility for lactation and nursing. Thus this technique seems useful for young women, as a breast-sparing procedure in patients with cancer, and to match the opposite breast after mastectomy and reconstruction. Although no singl e mammoplasty technique is appropriate for all types of breast hypertrophy, this procedure seems safe, reliable and widely applicable.