Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40040939›Full record

ArticlePlastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open2025

Intercostal Nerve Transfer as a Novel Technique for Sensation Preservation in Gender-affirming Subcutaneous Mastectomy.

Walter Lin, Ashley Titan, Veronique Doucet, Brian Pridgen, Bauback Safa

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Walter LinFrom The Buncke Clinic, San Francisco, CA.
Ashley TitanDepartment of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.
Veronique DoucetFrom The Buncke Clinic, San Francisco, CA.
Brian PridgenFrom The Buncke Clinic, San Francisco, CA.
Bauback SafaFrom The Buncke Clinic, San Francisco, CA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Chest-wall contouring surgery is an important step in the transitional journey of many transgender individuals who choose to undergo masculinization procedures. Traditional gender-affirming chest surgery does not include reinnervation of the nipple-areolar complex (NAC) or the mastectomy skin flaps and risks partial or complete denervation of these areas. Efforts to restore sensation have emerged leading to various sensory nerve transfer techniques including direct neurorrhaphy to the repositioned NAC or to underlying dermatosensory elements. Here, we describe a novel technique in which we perform a nerve transfer from the anterior lateral branch of the fourth intercostal nerve (of the breast parenchyma to be resected) to the anterior lateral branch of the third or second intercostal nerve in the mastectomy skin flap. There has been no increased risk of complications, and results so far are promising. As we continue to collect long-term outcome data, the effectiveness of NAC reinnervation using this technique will be presented in a forthcoming publication.

Identifiers

PMID40040939
PMCPMC11875568

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.