The Paisley Pattern Breast Reduction

Abstract

Background: Skin resection patterns inform the shape and scars after breast reduction. The 2 most commonly performed skin resection patterns, the Wise pattern and vertical pattern, each have limitations. The most common challenge is addressing excess lateral skin while avoiding medial scars. The Paisley Pattern breast reduction addresses this by incorporating lateral dogear excision in the skin resection design. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients received a Paisley Pattern breast reduction. After institutional review board approval, a chart review was performed to evaluate resection weight, operative time, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, flap necrosis, and seroma. Results: Operative times were comparable to published times for the Wise and vertical pattern techniques. No patients had lateral flap necrosis, and no patients required a return to the operating room during the follow-up period. One patient developed a unilateral seroma that was drained by interventional radiology. Conclusions: This report of a novel skin resection design demonstrates a proof of concept that the skin resection pattern can be performed safely in a wide variety of patients. Although there is a learning curve to the technique to prevent over-resection laterally, it provides efficient and aesthetically acceptable alternative to the Wise and vertical skin resection patterns for both large and small reductions.