Inverted nipple surgery

Breast nipple is a round, protuberant, external part of human mammary gland. Middle-size nipple is the size of a bean or hazelnut. Nipples are very important for the breast appearance, woman’s sexuality and motherhood. Sometimes it happens that the nipples are inverted since birth. In this case, they are in one plane with areola or are retracted into the breast. A nipple is retracted deeper because of a shorter milk duct system, or a variety of other reasons (not inborn): breastfeeding, trauma, breast sagging, breast infections, pregnancy and so on. This problem can be very unpleasant for women, because an inverted nipple, even though it’s not an illness, can cause lower self-confidence, and sometimes even can be an obstacle for breastfeeding. Plastic surgery women can completely reverse this defect. The procedure depends on how much the nipple is inverted. During the surgery, the structure that pulls the nipple inside is loosened, and skin plastic is performed. The breasts’ appearance dramatically improves.

Surgery Ideal candidate for surgery is not pregnant and not breastfeeding, and is in good physical and psychological health. During the surgery, an incision is made and a nipple is drawn out, and then it is fixed to stay in the right place. There are two surgical procedures that correct an inverted nipple - those that don’t damage milk ducts, and those that do. In the latter case, shortened milk ducts are disconnected from the nipple. In either case, the goal of the surgery is to improve the breast appearance and save the sensitivity of the nipple. The surgery is usually under local anesthesia, and takes 1-2 hours depending on type of the surgery and anatomy of the patient. The nipples will be sensitive and painful after the surgery for a few days, but this discomfort is easily controlled by painkillers. You can shower the next day, and you can go back to work in 1-2 days, but you should avoid vigorous physical activity for one week. Stitches are usually removed one week after the surgery. The scar is usually very small – around 0.5 cm – and hidden under the lower side of the nipple, so it’s basically invisible. It’s usually possible to breastfeed after the surgery, but if milk ducts were cut off, it will be impossible to breastfeed. If the nipples are extremely inverted, the surgery can only help temporarily, and another procedure might be needed.

Inverted nipple surgery before and after in Lithuania, at Plastic Surgery Clinic in Kaunas