Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
Endoscopic Bilateral Nipple-sparing Mastectomy via a Single Axillary Incision with Immediate Pre-pectoral Implant-based Breast Reconstruction
Published on: May 17, 2024
Skin-sparing mastectomy
1Breast Unit, Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5DG, UK. rrainsbury@aol.com
Background:
Skin-sparing mastectomy (SSM) is a new technique being used in a variety of clinical settings. This article reviews the published data on SSM to establish its current role in clinical practice.
Methods:
A Medline search was carried out using the key words 'skin-sparing mastectomy' to identify English-language articles published between 1990 and 2004 and further material referenced in these publications.
Results:
SSM is most commonly used for surgical prophylaxis and to treat in situ and early invasive disease in patients who request immediate breast reconstruction. SSM and non-SSM result in similar surgical and oncological outcomes, but skin flap ischaemia is more common after SSM and is associated with a range of risk factors, including smoking.
Conclusion:
SSM has become an established procedure in breast surgery, but there is a lack of prospective data on which to make evidence-based decisions about its use in individual patients.
