Nipple Correction
Sydney cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson discusses procedures to correct inverted nipples and other problem conditions. Tara Casey reports
Nipple Correction
0ne of the major concerns of candidates for breast augmentation is what will happen to their nipples after the procedure. About 10 percent of women have nipple issues that need to be addressed at the same time as their breast augmentation.
Case Study 1
Some woman who have lost weight or breastfed, may find their nipples become floppy. In some situations this condition can be improved by a breast augmentation alone. The procedure can rejuvenate the nipple with the pressure of the implant.
The nipple areolar size can increase by approximately 20 percent and patients have to be aware of this.
'I avoid scars around the nipple during the procedure as it often leads to
distortion,' says Sydney cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr Darryl Hodgkinson. 'The
scars around the nipple can be seen when the patient is nude and because the
incision and access to the breast tissue is more difficult, cutting through the
tissue can cause potential damage to the breast.'
BEFORE and AFTER correction of floppy nipples with breast augmentation by Dr Hodgkinson
Case Study 2
A complete nipple inversion is where the nipple is totally reversed and cannot be pulled out. According to Dr Hodgkinson, this condition cannot be improved by a breast augmentation. `Some patients are advised by their general practitioners or families that breastfeeding will improve the situation but most patients want the problem corrected at the same time
as an augmentation,' he says. `For this I make a tiny incision around the
nipple and release the ducts, then reconstruct the breast tissue underneath the
ducts, allowing the nipple to protrude. The patient wears a small rubber ring
around the nipple for about a week to prevent recurrence, and the small incision
within the areolar is barely noticeable.'
BEFORE and AFTER correction of inverted nipple by Dr Hodgkinson
Case Study 3
Another concern women have about their nipples after breast surgery is the size of the areolar complex. This patient presented with severe asymmetries: the left areolar complex was huge and the right approximately normal size, the left breast was
tuberous, the right breast small and the nipples were irregularly positioned.
The left breast was lifted and the areolar complex made smaller. The right
breast was augmented to give a symmetrical result with regularly positioned,
shaped and sized nipples.
BEFORE and AFTER correction of asymmetry and breast augmentation by Dr Hodgkinson
