Scarless Breast Reconstruction: Indications and Techniques for Optimizing Aesthetic Outcomes in Autologous Breast Reconstruction

Summary: Breast reconstruction that leaves no visible scars on the breast is possible for a subset of patients. This article reviews a cohort of 10 patients who underwent 14 autologous breast reconstructions. To achieve a reconstruction without visible breast scars, the mastectomy and autologous reconstruction are carried out through a periareolar incision. At the completion of the reconstruction, a small skin paddle is externalized through the mastectomy incision and in a subsequent stage entirely incorporated into a nipple areola reconstruction. Following completion of the breast and nipple areola reconstruction, a tattoo is performed that extends beyond the perimeter of the reconstructed areola and conceals all scars on the breast mound. The ideal candidate for this technique has a small or medium size breast, which is non- or minimally ptotic, and a donor site that can yield a flap larger than the volume of the native breast. In properly selected patients, this technique consistently yields high-quality results, which match or even surpass the aesthetics of the original breast.