Nipple Reconstruction Experiences

Thanks. How long did it taked for you to heal? When is the nipple rosy and back. Does it react like a normal nipple (HArdening and softening) or is it the same all the time? The nipple reconstruction was a piece of cake. It only took a local anesthetic and it was nice to able to walk into the OR instead of being wheeled in. I would have to go back and look up the exact procedure to get the details right, but my plastic surgeon used the star flap technique to create a nipple mound. No pain; all I felt was a little tugging.

I was able to go back to work the next day, and for the next three weeks or so he had me wear an eye patch (oval gauze pad they give you afer eye surgery) with a hole cut in the middle to cushion the fake nipple. After it healed I got the areola color tattooed in, which I was able to do over a lunch hour. I'm very pleased with the results. I know women who have skipped this step but I would have felt unfinished. I might have felt differently if I had a double mastectomy and had two scars, but I wanted to get some symmetry back. And it is a much better match with the other breast, the color is just about perfect. No one looking closely at it would mistake it for the real thing but the only people in that camp are my husband and me and we both think it looks pretty good. I'm very satisfied with my overall reconstruction. I'd consider it, especially if you had a single mastectomy.

The nipple reconstruction was a piece of cake. This was done with a local and I was actually able to walk into the OR. I would have to go back and look up the exact procedure to get the details right, but my plastic surgeon used the star flap technique to create a nipple mound. All I felt was a little tugging as he was suturing. I actually watched him do it. I looked up and could see what he was doing reflected in one of those overhead lights and commented on it. One of the nurses freaked out and said "We can move the light" and I said " I can also close my eyes" but I didn't because it was too interesting. Something I never would have imagined myself doing, but I guess that's what five surgeries in eight months can do for a person :) I couldn't resist making a joke when he finished, I waited a half a beat and said "I think you need to move it a little more to the left."

I was able to go back to work the next day, and for the next couple-three weeks he had me wear an eye patch (oval gauze pad they give you afer eye surgery) with a hole cut in the middle to cushion the fake nipple. After it healed I got the areola color tattooed in, which I was able to do over a lunch hour. I'm very pleased with the results. I know women who have skipped this step but I would have felt unfinished. It's a much better match with the other breast, the color in particular is just about perfect. No one looking closely at it would mistake it for the real thing but the only people in that camp are my husband and me and we both think it looks pretty good. I'm very satisfied with my overall reconstruction. The nipple reconstruction was a piece of cake. This was done with a local and I was actually able to walk into the OR. I would have to go back and look up the exact procedure to get the details right, but my plastic surgeon used the star flap technique to create a nipple mound. All I felt was a little tugging as he was suturing. I actually watched him do it. I looked up and could see what he was doing reflected in one of those overhead lights and commented on it. One of the nurses freaked out and said "We can move the light" and I said " I can also close my eyes" but I didn't because it was too interesting. Something I never would have imagined myself doing, but I guess that's what five surgeries in eight months can do for a person :) I couldn't resist making a joke when he finished, I waited a half a beat and said "I think you need to move it a little more to the left."

I was able to go back to work the next day, and for the next couple-three weeks he had me wear an eye patch (oval gauze pad they give you afer eye surgery) with a hole cut in the middle to cushion the fake nipple. After it healed I got the areola color tattooed in, which I was able to do over a lunch hour. I'm very pleased with the results. I know women who have skipped this step but I would have felt unfinished. It's a much better match with the other breast, the color in particular is just about perfect. No one looking closely at it would mistake it for the real thing but the only people in that camp are my husband and me and we both think it looks pretty good. I'm very satisfied with my overall reconstruction.