[Reduction of breasts ... Hans Schaller and the first mammaplasty in 1561. Contribution to history of medicine].

In comparison with other surgical procedures concerning the breast, the history of reduction mammaplasty is relatively short. Some authors have mistaken Paulos of Aegina for the pioneer in this field, although he occupied himself exclusively with gynaecomastia. Since some decades Hanns Schaller, the so-called "barber" of Augsburg, is considered to be the first surgeon to have performed a reduction mammaplasty by breast amputation in 1561. However, exact references have not been available so far. We found the original text containing the description of the procedure written by a contemporary in a rather unexpected place as well as some details about the surgeon. We conclude that Hanns Schaller was the first surgeon to undertake a reduction mammaplasty in an otherwise healthy woman in order to relieve her physical symptoms. Undoubtedly, his intentions were purely functional without any further aesthetic considerations.