Subcutaneous mastectomy: current state of the art.

Subcutaneous mastectomy, although widely performed, is still considered by some to be controversial. Appropriate indications for the procedure and alternatives, as well as points of technique, complications, and secondary surgery are presented. The incidence of cancer to date in a large number of patients has been extremely low (less than 0.5%). It is the opinion of the author that under the appropriate circumstances the procedure is a good one, offering the promise in most instances of a satisfactory to excellent result.