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What is it?
Nipple reconstruction is an optional surgery that forms a nipple and areola (the darker circle around the nipple) on your newly reconstructed breast.Read more about nipple reconstruction:
Nipple and areola reconstruction is a personal choice, and there are several options. Some women only want the shape of the breast to fill a bra, and decide they don’t need a nipple. Another option aside from surgery is to create an imitation of the nipple and areola with tattooing.
In most cases, nipple reconstruction surgery is not scheduled until at least 3 months after your breast reconstruction. You need time to heal and allow your new breast to “settle.” Talk with your doctor about the options and think about what is best for you.
How is it done?
Most often, the surgeon uses skin from your reconstructed breast to form the nipple. The areola is created either with skin from another area on your body or with later tattooing.Nipple reconstruction
The surgeon raises a small flap of skin from the breast and shapes it into a new nipple.What to expect with nipple reconstruction:
- Nipple length depends on the patient’s preference: Most women do not want nipples to “show” in clothing, but some patients do. Nipple length is adjusted accordingly.
- Most women do not feel much pain with this procedure because the nerves are not connected in your reconstructed breast.
- You will not have feeling in the new nipple when it is touched.
Areola reconstruction
At the same time as the nipple reconstruction, the surgeon takes a small amount of skin from another area of your body (usually hidden in a previous scar) to make the areola. In other instances, the surgeon will create the nipple, and the areola will be added later with tattooing.What to expect with areola reconstruction:
- Most women do not feel much pain with this procedure because the nerves are not connected in your reconstructed breast.
- You may feel some discomfort for a few weeks at the site where the skin is removed.
Tattooing
Tattooing is used in nipple and areolar reconstruction in several ways:- Tattooing can provide normal coloring to a nipple and areola previously created by your surgeon
- In other cases, tattooing can make a nipple and/or an areola, without requiring surgery.
What to expect with tattooing for reconstruction:
- While many surgeons’ offices perform tattooing to create the areola, making an entire nipple and areola “from scratch” (particularly with three dimensional effects or “3D Tattooing”) may require the services of a specialized tattoo artist.
- Often takes 2-3 appointments to tattoo the entire area
- Appointments are about 1 hour and take place in the doctor’s office, or in that case of 3D tattoos, require a trip to the tattoo artist’s studio.
- Most women can hardly feel the tattooing procedure, although your doctor may use local anesthetic just in case
By the numbers
- Number of surgeries:1
- Nights in the hospital:0
- Length of recovery:1 week or less
What are the pros?
- You can go “bra-less” and have the shape of a nipple on both sides
- Better matching to the opposite natural breast
What are the cons?
- Requires another surgery
- Requires another recovery period