Short Scar Periareolar Inferior Pedicle Reduction (SPAIR) Mammaplasty

A method of breast reduction is presented that maintains the blood supply and innervation to the nipple and areola complex by means of an inferior pedicle, reduces the breast volume by removing tissue from the periphery of the breast, maintains breast shape with internal plication sutures, and limits the scar using a periareolar technique with a short inferior vertical-to-oblique extension. There were 167 breasts in 98 patients reduced in this fashion. The average resection volume was 632 g per breast, with an average follow-up of 7.6 months. The complication rate was similar to that observed using traditional inferior pedicle techniques with the inverted-T cutaneous scar. This technique has proven to be versatile, technically straightforward, and applicable to breasts of all sizes for both breast reduction and mastopexy. By combining the aesthetic advantage of less cutaneous scarring with the safety and familiarity of the inferiorly based pedicle, superior results in breast reduction can be obtained that are consistent, long-lasting, and satisfying for both patient and surgeon alike. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 103: 890, 1999.)