Revista Brasileira de Cirurgia Plástica (Jun 2017)

Innervation of the nipple-areolar complex after reduction mammaplasty: a histological study

  • Jairo Zacche de Sá,
  • Otávio Maximino de Lucena Pessoa,
  • Flávio Augusto de Melo Barbosa Arruda,
  • Daniela Mayumi Takano,
  • Juliana Melo Pereira,
  • Amanda Torres Campos,
  • Rafael Anlicoara,
  • José Lamartine de Andrade Aguiar,
  • Amanda Estelita de Oliveira Rodrigues

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5935/2177-1235.2017RBCP0032
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 32, no. 02
pp. 202 – 207

Abstract

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INTRODUCTION: The periareolar dermal release maneuver in mammoplasty promotes better mobility of the nipple-areola complex. However, there are doubts on possible nerve damages in this kind of topography. This quantitative analysis compared the nerve branches density from the medial, lateral and caudal side-flow of the nipple-areola complex (NAC). METHODS: This was a prospective study. The study included 26 women who have undergone a mammaplasty reduction using the Pitanguy's classic technique. The dermis fragments collected from the medial, lateral and caudal sides were properly prepared and subjected to a histological study in order to determine the nerve branches density in each studied sides. RESULTS: Of 26 studied patients, 42.3% had a higher nerve branches density in the lateral side; 38.5%, on the medial side and 19.2% on the caudal side. The statistical analysis used to evaluate whether there was a predominance of one side where the dermis has been sectioned showed that the proportion comparison test was not significant (p = 0.304). CONCLUSION: The comparative analysis has shown that there is no preponderance of nerve density in any periareolar dermis side.

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