Vascular Reliability of Nipple-Areola Complex???Bearing Pedicles: An Anatomical Microdissection Study

Abstract

Vascular variability and overlap may account for the remarkable safety of diverse nipple-areola complex-bearing pedicles, even though pedicle thickness influences vascular reliability. Lateral and medial approaches, however, clearly show vascular advantages over that which can be observed in inferior and superior pedicles. The former may therefore be regarded as more reliable. Especially the full-thickness glandular dermal superolaterally based pedicle should regularly enclose dominant branches originating from the lateral thoracic artery and supplementary arteries deriving from minor important sources in this region.