Background  

Nipple-areola complex (NAC) lateralisation in the horizontal axis is understudied with respect to its potential effects on the outcome of augmentation mammoplasty. An implant pocket dissected slightly laterally on the affected side offsets the lateralised nipple and improves the quality of breast enhancement in the lateral quadrant with an aesthetically positioned NAC. It also prevents the appearance of medially malplaced implants.

Methods  

Medial and lateral halves of breasts were measured in 312 mammaplasties performed by the author in 2007; of these, 39 (12%) had NAC asymmetrically positioned in the horizontal plane, 29 (9%) were right lateralised, 4 (1.2%) left lateralised, 5 (1.5%) bilaterally lateralised, and 1 (0.3%) was bilaterally medialised. In the more common right-lateralised group (n = 25), the mean medial half measurement was 8.76 ± 1.22 cm compared with 8.96 cm in the control group (n = 170), with no statistical significance (P = 0.45). However, the lateral half measurement in the lateralised nipple group (n = 25) was 9.06 ± 1.53 cm compared with 9.7 ± 1.67 cm in the control group (n = 169) and it showed a borderline significant value (P = 0.06). On the affected side, the medial boundary of the breast pocket is marked 0.25–0.5 cm further away from the routine 2.5-cm intermammary distance with the goal of offsetting the lateralised NAC and to improve its visual aesthetic position on the breast.

Results and Conclusion  

Lateralisation of the breast pocket in a breast with a lateralised nipple improves the aesthetic position of the NAC. In compensated augmentation mammaplasties, lateral quadrant enhancement of the breast is aesthetically superior to uncompensated cases and prevents the appearance of medially malplaced implants. The intermammary distance in compensated cases was acceptable without any compromise to the aesthetic outcome.