Inverted Nipple Correction Surgery Procedure

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If the surgeon has decided that you require Inverted Nipple Correction Surgery, they should talk you through the process in detail. It is a minimally invasive procedure with a quick operation (between 30 minutes and 2 hours) and recovery time so you shall be in and out of the clinic in the same day as an outpatient.

What does the surgery generally entail?

The operation can go down two routes. These being one, which ensures the milk ducts, are left functioning, and the other, which does not. Unfortunately, more often than not it is the latter, which is most common and this means that breastfeeding after having the surgery is unlikely.

The procedure is done under local or general anaesthetic. With local anaesthetic, the area being operated on is numbed but you are still awake, however you may be given a sedative to keep you calm throughout the procedure. General anaesthetic, on the other hand, means that you will be unconscious throughout the operation.

Preserving milk ducts

A small incision is made where the nipple joins the areola (the dark skin surrounding the nipple) ensuring that both the nipple and areola are still attached to each other as well as to the breast. These are then lifted into a new shape with the nipple protruding out of the breast. This is performed with stitches done in a “purse-string” style.

Because the scar is circular around the nipple, it helps increase the nipple’s projection, as the scar tissue is more fibrous than normal.

Detaching milk ducts

This is often necessary in more tricky cases where the woman has grade 3 (and occasionally, grade 2) inverted nipples, which is most often caused by the milk ducts being too short and pulling the nipples inwards.

In this procedure, the incisions are also made where the nipple meets the areola, however, rather than just lifting them, the milk ducts are cut from the nipple to release it. The nipple should then project out of the breast and is sutured to hold it in place.

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