Breast reconstruction after mastectomy should aim at resulting in an aesthetic outcome that matches the patient’s expectations and without interfering in the oncologic treatment. Whether the reconstruction is performed immediately or in a delayed fashion depends on various factors, which needs detailed attention. Autologous tissue, implants or both are used in the reconstruction. This article r...

BACKGROUND Conservative mastectomy procedures, such as the nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM), present appealing options for patients with small invasive or noninvasive malignancies and those needing prophylactic mastectomies. Despite outstanding postoperative cosmetic results, nipple-areola complex (NAC) and mastectomy skin flap (MSF) survival remains a concern. We present our two-stage nipple-ar...

BACKGROUND Digital mammography clearly distinguishes gland tissue density from the overlying nonglandular breast tissue coverage, which corresponds to the existing tissue between the skin and the superficial layer of the fascia superficialis surrounding the gland (i.e., dermis and subcutaneous fat). Preoperative digital imaging can determine the thickness of this breast tissue coverage, thus fa...

BACKGROUND Nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM) is a recent advance in the therapeutic and prophylactic management of breast cancer; however, the procedure is associated with increased reconstructive complications. Data on NSM after previous breast augmentation are limited. OBJECTIVES The authors compared reconstructive complications after NSM between patients with previously augmented breasts and...

OBJECTIVES Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare skin disorder characterized by blister formation in response to minor trauma as well as extracutaneous manifestations. Details of the surgical history and technical considerations for performing breast reconstruction in a patient with epidermolysis bullosa are discussed. METHOD The history and details of breast reconstruction in a patient with epider...

Gigantomastia (GM) is a rare disabling condition characterized by excessive breast tissue growth. To date, there is no universal classification and definition of GM. At present, GM is determined as weight over 1.5 kg per breast (Dancey et al., 2008) or 3% or more of the patient's total body weight (Dafydd et al., 2011). The lack of generally acknowledged approach regarding GM is expressed by th...

Skin graft is one of the most indispensable techniques in plastic surgery and dermatology. Skin grafts are used in a variety of clinical situations, such as traumatic wounds, defects after oncologic resection, burn reconstruction, scar contracture release, congenital skin deficiencies, hair restoration, vitiligo, and nipple-areola reconstruction. Skin grafts are generally avoided in the managem...