Inverted nipple surgery is a plastic surgery procedure that is done to correct the flat and inverted appearance of your nipple.
Having an inverted nipple is not abnormal at all. You are probably wondering what an inverted nipple is. You know how you notice that your friend’s nipple is more outstanding than the other part of her breast, meanwhile, yours probably looks flat and does not point outward, or you know someone who has flat nipples.
Inverted nipples are nipples that point inward. It is sometimes called retracted nipples. An inverted nipple is common in both make and females. They are often present since your birth but sometimes occur late in life. Some people with inverted nipples find it unattractive and abnormal, so they consider having a procedure known as inverted nipple surgery.If you are considering an inverted nipple surgery, you may want to keep reading.
CAUSES OF INVERTED NIPPLE
An inverted nipple often comes with your birth, but in a situation where you start to notice it at a later time in your life, you should make a hospital appointment, because it could be a sign of an underlying condition, or not, but you need to be sure.
Here are a few reasons your nipples can become inverted over time:
1) Aging: this is a benign situation, that is, it is not related to cancer, so you need not worry. You may notice your nipple retracting from the age of 30, as your breast begins to change and you begin to get older.
2) Mammary duct ectasia: this is also a noncancerous condition. It occurs mostly during premenopause. It is caused by a milk duct that becomes thick and wide, blocking and causing fluid to build up in the breast.
3) Bacterial infection: bacteria can get into your milk duct and infect it. It is common among breastfeeding women. If your nipples become inverted due to a bacterial infection, you may experience symptoms like :- a lump behind the nipple – tenderness or redness- nipple discharge that could be bloody.
4) Breast Cancer: inverted nipples at a later time of your life could be a sign of breast cancer. Your doctor may diagnose the condition using a mammogram, breast ultrasound, biopsy, and MRI.
LEVEL OF SEVERITY OF INVERTED NIPPLES
Grades determine the severity of inverted nipples and help to determine a treatment option.
GRADE 1: It is the lowest level of inverted nipples. In this case, the nipple can easily be reversed with gentle pinching and can maintain the deserted position for a short while.
GRADE 2: Grade 2 inverted nipple can also be manually everted, but it takes a lot more effort and it retracts once the pressure is removed.
GRADE 3: This is the most severe form of inverted nipple. It cannot be everted because there is a lot of fibrous tissue that keeps the nipple inverted and the duct might be physically shortened. It is the most difficult grade of inverted tissue to treat.
INVERTED NIPPLE SURGERY
Inverted nipple surgery is a plastic surgery procedure that is done to correct the flat and inverted appearance of your nipple. To perform this procedure, a series of specialized stitches are placed around the nipple to push them out and provide stability. There are 2 different types of surgery your doctor may suggest to you: surgery that preserves your milk ducts and surgery that does not.
SURGERY THAT PRESERVES YOUR MILK DUCT
This type of surgery is also known as the “parachute flap” technique. Women who undergo this surgery should still be able to breastfeed because not all milk duct systems will be blocked in the process.What your surgeon does is that he applies local anesthesia on the area, so you feel numb, then he will make an incision around the base of your nipple.He then lifts your nipple while it is still attached to the areola and then sews them into a protruding shape, then closes the incision and applies medicated gauze.
SURGERY WITHOUT MILK DUCTS
Women who undergo this procedure will not be able to breastfeed because of the removal of their milk ducts. Your milk ducts are removed aduring the surgery, allowing your nipples to protrude.
RISKS OF INVERTED NIPPLE SURGERY
Common side effects you will experience after the surgery are bruising and swelling, but the shape of the nipple will change over time and your result achieved. However, in the course of performing the surgery, there is a lot of cutting and stitching required, and if the surgeon is not careful enough, he might end up cutting your ducts, nerves, and blood vessels.
Should this happen, you may be at risk of being unable to breastfeed, especially if you had done the surgery that should preserve your milk ducts. It can also cause poor blood circulation. In some cases, you may have a relapse or the nipple might be placed in a poor position
CAN I BREASTFEED AFTER AN INVERTED NIPPLE SURGERY?
This is mostly dependent on what type of surgery was done. If your surgery was done to preserve your milk ducts and there were no complications that led to cutting your ducts mistakenly, then you should be able to breastfeed after the surgery, otherwise, you are less likely to breastfeed after the surgery.
SUMMARY
Inverted nipples are not abnormal or a thing to worry about if you were born that way. But if you are worried that it doesn’t make you feel or look sexy, then inverted nipple surgery is an option. Of course, you should discuss this with your doctor first, he should know the level of severity of your inverted nipple, understand if it is a sign of an underlying medical condition, then he will suggest what type of inverted nipple surgery will be best for you.