Modified Nipple Correction Surgery Combined With Debridement for Refractory Nonpuerperal Mastitis: A Clinical Study

In refractory nonpuerperal mastitis, the treatment for fistulas requires surgeries or techniques that not only remove the lesion but also correct the inverted nipple. To improve the stability of nipple correction, Dr. Ye Meina modified the conventional technique and combined it with the fistula incision and debridement surgery to treat fistulas in refractory plasma cell mastitis (PCM).

This study evaluated 12 female patients with a refractory history of PCM. All patients received fistula incision and debridement combined with modified nipple correction surgery. Clinical data, including patient information, treatment effects, adverse effects, and breast appearance, were collected, and all directional information has been de-identified.

Follow-up was 8-39 months. The average age of all participants was 37.1 ± 7.45 years old. All patients accepted this surgery, and postoperative pathology matched the manifestation of acute or chronic PCM. The cure rate and effective rate of these patients both reached 100% (12/12), and the recurrence rate was 0% (0/12). One patient (8.3%) encountered nipple inversion recurrence. For adverse events, two reported scar formation, and one reported reversible abnormal nipple sensation.

The fistula incision and debridement combined with modified nipple correction could treat refractory PCM effectively by facilitating the suture removal, reducing postoperative discomfort for patients, and making smaller surgical incisions possible. Consequently, this modified surgery has shown preliminary favorable results and warrants further investigation to determine generalizability.