Forum Discussion

Livvi1's avatar
Livvi1
Member
10 years ago

Nipple advice please

Hello ladies,

It's been a little while since I was on last (seven months) but I can say that I am now feeling much better, thank you for all your wonderful advice. I had my bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction, DIEP flap, last December and other than the seven centimeter haematoma that made life difficult for a while, I have healed very well with no complications. 

It took me awhile but I am getting used to my new perkier breasts that I have officially named  B1 and B2. They even bounce now which makes me laugh, considering they were rather flat and saggy after breast feeding. I do still find it hard getting used to the numbness but every day it gets easier. I find wearing padded bras makes a big difference for me and the sensation isn't quite so bad.

I really was after a little more advice please. I have a follow up appointment next week and know that the conversation of 'nipples' will most definitely come up. I had always planned to do them as quickly as possible but I have got awfully used to them not being there and not sure I'm ready to do it just yet, at least not this year. But, I am also worried I will loose my place in cue.

My question(s) are......Did you go ahead with nipples? If so how long did you wait after your operation to get them? How long does the operation take and is it fairly simple? What are the chances the nipples wont take? If you got them are you happy with them? 

Oh and has any one had the fat injections and if so could you tell me how it works and how successful they are? I have one breast smaller than the other, which was something I had expected but I was told I could also get fat injections while getting my nipples done and was wondering if it works and if was worth doing?

Any advice would be very gratefully appreciated as I am starting to feel a little anxious about it all.

Thank you x

 

 

Reconstruction

3 Replies

  • Chris's avatar
    Chris
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hi Livvi,

    I have had a bilateral mastectomy and always thought I would get nipples. Trouble is, I decided that I wasn't too unhappy with the way they looked, and also thought I wouldn't  want to risk possibly ruining very good implant reconstructions. What I have done though, is to buy some fake nipple tattoos, and they are really good. They come from the UK, in the mail and don't cost much. The site is Tattooforaweek.com and if you look up Areola nipple tattoos it will show you 2 pages of very realistic different coloured tattoos. I intially bought a selection of what was on show, but now I have a favourite colour and just buy that one. They cost about $3 each, and last for a couple of weeks. If you are trying to decide about nipples, this could really help you. For me it has helped to prove that I don't  really need to have another surgical procedure, and the nipples are good enough to prevent being noticed at the gym showers, so I am happy.

    Regarding fat transfer, I had small one for a bit of a divert in my cleavage area on one breast. It helped a bit, but wasn't perfect. I have a flatish area on my first mastectomy implant reconstruction, and maybe if this ever needs replacing I might consider having it done again, but at the moment they look very normal in a bra, so I am leaving them alone.

    Chris 

  • rowdy's avatar
    rowdy
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hi I had my reconstruction last year, I also had a lift on the other and at that time I had a nipple made. I'm really happy with mine, I like you was a bit over surgeries and wasn't going to have the tattoo but my PS surgeon convinced me that I should finish the job. Last Saturday I had my tatt I'm so happy I did. I did put some pictures up on the reconstruction site if you want to look.

    Ultimately you have to do what you are comfortable with. Good luck 

    I also like your b1 and b2 and it is nice to have perky boobs

  • Jane221's avatar
    Jane221
    Member
    10 years ago

    Hi Livvi1, welcome back and glad to hear that all has gone well with your reconstruction - B1 & B2 - very cute!

    I had the fat injection (lipofilling) done in August last year on my reconstructed breast as a seroma had formed after surgery and had to be drained, leaving a noticeable dent at the top of the breast. The lipofilling was fairly straightforward and is usually done as day surgery. I had it under general anaesthetic. They took some extra fat from my hip and injected into the breast. They often put in more fat than needed as it can lose volume over time, but I have to say that mine has done well, and I believe they are refining this process all the time so less fat is lost. I did have some spectacular bruising on my hip for a couple of weeks, and got to wear the gorgeous abdominal binder again for 6 weeks, but other than that, pain was minimal and I was up and about soon after the surgery.

    In regards to the nipple: had my reconstruction in late November last year (with a breast lift on the remaining side to even things up) and the nipple part of the surgery was quick, around 30-60 minutes I believe and there was very little pain with the new nipple, but they do require some dedicated post-op care to keep their shape etc. Although most nipples do lose some "projection" over time. Nipple shields or other coverings are used to protect the nipple while it heals. Don't forget to check out the nipple reconstruction stories / photos in the Breast Reconstruction Group, which should give you a good idea of others' experiences and what they did to look after their new arrivals :-)

    Of course you might decide not to bother with new nipples, and this is completely up to you. Lots of women decide they've had enough after the initial reconstruction and are happy with their new breast shape. For others, it doesn't feel complete until the nipples and tattoos (separate procedure) are done. The important thing is that you feel happy with whatever decision you make. Best of luck. Jane xx