Importance of the pedicle length measurement in reduction mammaplasty

Various measurements are still considered to be important for making decisions regarding the approach in reduction mammaplasty, even though the vast majority of techniques used are based on an inferior pedicle. This study was performed to analyze the variability of the suprasternal notch-to-nipple and nipple-to-inframammary fold distance measurements when using the inferior pedicle technique. In 92 patients, 184 breasts having various volumes were measured preoperatively, and the variability of the measurements of the suprasternal notch-to-nipple and nipple-to-inframammary fold distance was analyzed. The values of the distance from the suprasternal notch to nipple were dispersed over a wide range with a trimodal distribution, with peaks at the intervals of 23 to 27 cm, 28 to 33 cm, and 34 to 45 cm. In contrast, the values of the nipple-to-inframammary fold distance showed a normal distribution pattern, with the peak at 14 cm. The distance from the suprasternal notch to nipple has a fair relationship to the inframammary fold-to-nipple distance, the latter being concentrated in a smaller range (r = 0.51). The former is often used to decide whether a free-nipple graft should be performed. However, the relative consistency of the latter measurement has led to the conclusion that the free-nipple graft technique need never be considered.