Areolar reconstruction: MICAP flap as a skin paddle donor site in skin sparing mastectomy and implant-based reconstruction

The main advantage of preserving the nipple-areola complex (NAC) in small to moderate size breasts reconstruction is that the main diameters of the breast mound remain unaltered. When for oncological reason the NAC must be excised, a paddle of skin needs to be borrowed from a donor site and transferred into the surgical defect to maintain the breast contour. While this is easily achievable with the majority of autologous reconstructions, it is very challenging in the context of implant-based reconstructions, where the primary closure of the defect leads to a flattened breast mound and suboptimal cosmetic results. In our experience, the medial intercostal artery perforator flap enables the safe resection of the NAC with concurrent reconstruction of the defect, allowing a satisfactory cosmetic result in terms of contour and projection even in the setting of implant-based reconstruction.