Mapping Arterial Pedicle of Nipple-Areolar Complex After Mammoplasty
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mapping the Arterial Pedicle of the Nipple-Areolar Complex after Mammoplasty
IRAS ID
326015
Contact name
Peter A Barry
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 4 months, 20 days
Research summary
Surgical treatment of breast cancer can involve breast conservation where the cancerous lump is removed without removing the whole breast (mastectomy). One way of achieving complete cancer removal without deforming the breast is by combining cancer removal with deliberate re-shaping of the breast. This uses plastic surgical techniques of breast lift and reduction called mammoplasty. A critical step of this operation is to maintain blood supply of the nipple and areola (the pigmented circular area around the nipple) as it often needs to be moved to a higher level on the breast. If this blood supply is disrupted, death of the nipple tissue may result.
In the situation where a second breast reduction is required (either to create symmetry with the other breast or when a cancer has returned in the breast) the risks to the nipple and areola are even greater.
In order to find the location of the blood vessels to the nipple and areola before surgery, ultrasound can be used. The knowledge of the location of the main blood supply especially after a previous mammoplasty is lacking.
Therefore, we aim to locate this in patients who have had previous mammoplasty to see if the ultrasound method can achieve this.
We will ask patients who have had such surgery for breast cancer to attend our clinic to have an ultrasound examination to map the blood supply to the nipple and areola on both breasts. We will then see if this matches the findings from prior surgery (which will generally alter the usual pattern as it selects a particular blood supply). This study will not alter our patients' standard treatment. It may benefit patients who need to undergo further surgery in the future.REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0791
Date of REC Opinion
20 Sep 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion