Treatment of partial areolar necrosis following reduction mammaplasty
10.3760/cma.j.cn114453-20240524-00139
- VernacularTitle:乳房缩小成形术后乳晕部分坏死的修复经验
- Author:
Yanwen YANG
1
;
Yining GE
1
;
Jiaqi LIU
1
;
Yong ZHANG
1
;
Fazhi QI
1
Author Information
1. 复旦大学附属中山医院整形外科，上海 200032
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Breast;
Reduction mammaplasty;
Postoperative complications;
Areola necrosis;
Areola transplantation
- From:
Chinese Journal of Plastic Surgery
2025;41(3):287-292
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To summarize the experience of repairing partial areolar necrosis following reduction mammaplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients who experienced partial areola necrosis after reduction mammaplasty. These patients were treated or consulted at the Department of Plastic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, between January 2017 and February 2023. Preoperatively, daily dressing changes were performed on the necrotic areola wounds until the boundaries of necrosis were clearly defined. Debridement and repair were then carried out by resecting bilateral breast glandular tissue through the original incision to reduce breast volume, followed by narrowing the areola radius. If no areola defect remained after narrowing, direct suturing was performed; if defects persisted, the resected normal areola skin was used for grafting. Postoperative follow-up was conducted to observe areola recovery and complications. At the 6-month postoperative mark, patient satisfaction was evaluated using a 5-level scale (very satisfied, satisfied, neutral, dissatisfied, very dissatisfied). An experienced plastic physician, not involved in the surgery, assessed areolar outcomes based on four criteria: color, softness, shape, and scarring, with each criterion scored from 1 to 4 (higher scores indicating better outcomes).Results:Eight female patients (9 necrotic areolas) were included in the study, with a mean age of (31.8±5.4) years and a mean body mass index of (24.1±1.8) kg/m 2. Among the 9 necrotic areolas, 3 had defect areas greater than 50% of the total areola area, while 6 had defects less than 50%. Direct suturing after areola narrowing was performed in 3 areolas, while free areola skin grafting was used in 6 areolas. Postoperatively, 2 cases exhibited mild epidermal erosion at the graft site, which improved with dressing changes. No complications such as infection, bleeding, hematoma, or seroma occurred. At the 6-month follow-up, all 8 patients demonstrated good wound healing, and all 9 areolas survived. The areolas exhibited consistent shape and color bilaterally, without significant pigmentation changes, depigmentation, or irregular shapes. In the 6 grafted areolas, the grafted skin color closely matched the surrounding native areola tissue, with no obvious demarcation or scar hyperplasia. Patient satisfaction was rated as very satisfied in 3 cases and satisfied in 5 cases. According to the physician’s evaluation, the scores for color, softness, shape, and scarring were (3.7±0.5), (3.8±0.4), (3.3±0.7) and (3.2±0.7) points, respectively. Conclusion:Partial areola necrosis following reduction mammaplasty can be effectively repaired by further reducing breast volume and narrowing the areola for direct suturing or by grafting excess areola skin to the defect site. A satisfactory appearance can be achieved after surgery.
