Immediate targeted nipple-areolar complex re-innervation: Improving outcomes in immediate autologous breast reconstruction.

Breast reconstruction often renders the chest skin and nipple areolar complex (NAC) insensate. We propose a new technique of preserving the intercostal nerves during mastectomy and using them to reinnervate the NAC following mastectomy and immediate autologous tissue reconstruction. The technique involves preservation of the lateral intercostal nerves during mastectomy, dissection of the lateral intercostal nerves to length, coaptation of the intercostal nerves to a nerve graft which is then tunneled through the free flap and the distal nerve graft is then coapted to the nerve stumps at the base of the NAC.

Immediate Targeted Nipple-Areolar Complex Reinnervation: Improving Outcomes in Gender-affirming Mastectomy.

Unlabelled: Female-to-male mastectomy often renders the chest skin and nipple-areolar complex (NAC) insensate. We propose a new technique of preserving the intercostal nerves and using them to reinnervate the NAC after mastectomy.

Methods: We performed a prospective analysis of transmasculine patients who underwent female-to-male mastectomy.