title: The lazy lateral incision: an innovative approach to the skin-sparing mastectomy.
abstract: The skin-sparing mastectomy has many advantages over a simple mastectomy, including preservation of the native breast skin, inframammary fold, and improved aesthetics for immediate reconstruction. The traditional transverse elliptical access incision is anterior on the breast mound, requires a second incision for previous biopsy sites, and provides restricted access to the axilla. We describe a novel mastectomy incision that improves scar appearance, improves access to the axillary contents, and reduces skin flap retraction. This incision starts at the nipple-areolar complex and extends laterally in a curvilinear fashion toward the axilla incorporating the biopsy scar along the way. This simple sinusoidal design results in an aesthetically superior alternative to the traditional linear mastectomy incision.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Surgery WVU School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dutton
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery WVU School of Medicine, USA.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ghareeb
authors.affiliation: McClellan Plastic Surgery, USA.
authors.forename: W Thomas
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: McClellan
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000379:methods*; D008408:Mastectomy / Q000379:methods*; D059351:Organ Sparing Treatments / Q000379:methods*; D012867:Skin