The pinwheel technique: an adjunct to the periareolar approach in gynecomastia resection

The most common surgical approach to gynecomastia is through Webster's intra-areolar incision. The authors have modified the excisional phase of the operation to facilitate the delivery of a large mass of breast tissue through a relatively small incision. The essential features of this procedure are (1) delineation of the perimeter of the breast on the pectoral fascia; (2) elevation of the anterior chest wall skin and subcutaneous tissues over the entire breast mass; (3) serial application of Kocher clamps at the perimeter of the breast and, with gentle traction, sequential lysis of the peripheral and posterior attachments of the breast mass; and (4) delivery of the the mass simultaneously through the periareolar incision, as the dissection proceeds, until the entire specimen is exteriorized. The specimen then consists of the entire breast mass encircled by a pinwheel-like arrangement of Kocher clamps. Thirty-one patients (61 gynecomastic breasts) were operated using this method. En bloc tissue specimens weighing as much as 285 g were removed without the need for dividing the specimen or extending the single incision. The authors recommend this technique, which is straightforward and efficacious with minimal blood loss and good postoperative cosmesis.