Keyhole Top Surgery

Also referred to as periareolar top surgery, a keyhole mastectomy is an outpatient surgical procedure that lasts approximately two hours. It’s a chest reconstruction technique that involves creating a tiny incision at the border of the areola. Through this small opening, the breast tissue is carefully taken out.

In some cases, keyhole top surgery may preserve the patient’s natural nipple sensitivity because, unlike other top surgery operations, the nipple stalk and the areola are left untouched. Depending on your surgeon and your individual case, your nipples may or may not be resized during the operation.

Aside from offering a higher chance of maintaining nerve sensation, another benefit of a keyhole mastectomy is that patients tend to heal faster and experience very minimal scarring. The surgical incision is barely visible and typically ranges half the length of the areola’s border, plus there is no grafting involved.

On the other hand, a known disadvantage of keyhole top surgery is that the inframammary fold (IMF)—or the boundary between the chest and the breast—is not taken out. That is why this particular surgical procedure is not suitable for all types of patients.