Nipple reconstruction
Comments
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Teacher, I took a loose-topped maxi dress to wear home to hide everything. I had the grafts, hip scar revision and nips, so no underwear at all and lots of bandaging to camouflage. The dress worked well and was comfortable.
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hi,
I wore a comfortable skirt with front button-up shirt, no bra. I had my nipple recon yesterday at noon, and was home by 3:00 that afternoon. I woke up bandaged and in a stretchy binder. I will be able to take the binder off tomorrow, but can't touch the bandages. Surgeon said to wear a post- op bra afterwards. I am anxious to see it. Good luck with yours!
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Hi ladies!
I had nipple reconstruction in April on my cancerous side (non cancerous side had nipple and areola sparing). Anyway, the reconstruction of the nipple failed. It has almost completely flattened out with hardly any projection.
Boo. I called my PS office and the tech said my PS can re-do it and insurance will cover it. I am a school teacher and had the initial procedure done during my Spring Break. For 2 full weeks I went braless and thought everything would stay as is but it shrunk so much. I am so bummed that I had the dreaded "nipple fail". Sooooo, I am reaching out for success stories and advice on how to keep it from not flattening out this time around?? My procedure is this Tuesday. Thanks ladies!!0 -
Hi ladies!
I had nipple reconstruction in April on my cancerous side (non cancerous side had nipple and areola sparing). Anyway, the reconstruction of the nipple failed. It has almost completely flattened out with hardly any projection.
Boo. I called my PS office and the tech said my PS can re-do it and insurance will cover it. I am a school teacher and had the initial procedure done during my Spring Break. For 2 full weeks I went braless and thought everything would stay as is but it shrunk so much. I am so bummed that I had the dreaded "nipple fail". Sooooo, I am reaching out for success stories and advice on how to keep it from not flattening out this time around?? My procedure is this Tuesday. Thanks ladies!!0 -
yes, loose and soft materials
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Teacher, just be comfortable. My nips were done in a separate procedure after Stage II and I just wore my regular clothes for that. Are you only having nipple construction? If you are having lipo, they will probably put you in compression so just where your most comfy clothes for that.
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I had a few stitches removed on Friday and the nips are looking great, but the nurse said something about fat grafting in behind the new areolas for better shape - has anyone else had this done?
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Nope but would really like to know more about this lahela
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I had surgery friday. My PS used alloderm for the nipple reconstruction to help with projection since last time the skate flap failed. I take my bandages off later today but I can see the nipple- it is very pale, almost white and no stitches coming out of it. Very different from the skate flap! I will take a better look today when I remove everything.
Oh and I bought nursing pads to help protect it after I take my hospital bandages off. It was very weird buying them, considering I am having no more babies AND I am not even using it on a real boob! haha! DXat32- I had the same problem! Hopefully this time will be different.
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Good luck, Damiana! I hope you love your new nip and it behaves itself.
Lahela, your doc sounds like a perfectionist! That's great. If it were me, I might be saying don't touch me, I'm done. But go for it, girl, if it's what you need and want. I have never heard of fat grafting there, at this point, but I am no expert, for sure. My nips have shrunk a lot but I'm content. The tattoos are fading, which looks weird. We'll see how it all turns out.
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My nips are looking spectacularly good at 3 weeks, but the graft areolas are kind of flat like the crop circles were so I will do the fat grafting for roundness. I'm using make-up removal pads for nip protection, cutting the hole out of the middle, and I must thank whoever suggested this because it is awesome! Jeannie, my PS is a perfectionist for the noobs and she is *so* successful. I am in love with them!!!
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lahela....so happy to hear how happy you are!!!!! You certainly had a bumpy road to get where you are today.....enjoy the noobs.
Anyone have issues with a stitch abscess....MONTHS after nipple recon? I seem to have that happening, complete with redness and pus production, along one little suture line from the nip recon. Seeing my PS this afternoon ....... soooooo not what I planned as a summer activity!
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Eeek! Nihahi, that's so unfair to get a stitch abscess so far out! How did the PS visit go? Hope everything is okay!
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My body just doesn't like sutures! Apparently this was all due to a non-dissolving, supposed to be permanently there suture. He dug in a bit and snipped it out. According to PS, I may lose a bit of the projection of the nip without that suture in place. I'm not thrilled about that, as things were looking absolutely like I'd hoped for, but......the suture had to go. I am having one more round of fat grafting in August, so maybe I can have a bit of that put into the nip if need be???? As a side note....he's thrilled with how much sensation I have regained.....I wasn't quite as thrilled as he was yesterday........!
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Nihahi---I had multiple spitting sutures around the areola of my native breast where it was lifted to match the mx side. I had my surgery for implant and lift in March and had at least half a dozen instances of spitting sutures. My PS said just put a little neosporin on it and cover with a bandaid and they would go away. And they did every time up until the last time. I got one at the end of Aug. Saw my doc about 2 weeks later and he said do the usual. Fast forward to Oct and still spitting. Got antibiotics. Fast forward again to Nov when I went in for my nip recon. During the procedure while we were chatting, I mentioned that the spitting suture was still spitting. He suggested antibiotics. I reminded him I had already tried that. He suggested stronger and longer and said if that didn't help, he'd have to surgically remove it. Well antibiotics didn't help so in Dec (9 months after the surgery), I had a quick procedure to remove it. Gave me a little propofol and 20 min later, I was good to go! He said it turned out to be the knotted end of the purse string suture which is the suture that goes all the way around the areola during the lift. The knot never dissolved. He said it's not uncommon. I did have to treat this procedure as surgical and not eat after midnight the night before, but I stopped off on the way home and had a huge breakfast! I felt really good afterwards. Woke up quickly and raring to go!
Anyway, the point to this is, keep after your doc if it doesn't resolve in a few days. Mine kept saying "Oh it will dissolve on it's own time. Don't worry about it." for almost 3 months till I insisted he do something. As soon as that was out, I healed quickly and 100%.
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Thanks for sharing, lala.....
Fortunately, my PS is a great guy who is very attentive to any concerns I have. When I saw him yesterday, I realized what kind of day he was having in minor surgery, and apologized for coming in for such a small thing. Before he even laid eyes on the "issue", he gave me a "talk" about how if I was concerned about something, then he wanted me to let him get it sorted out. He is one of "Those" kind of docs.
I've had lots of spitting sutures before.....this one wasn't getting spit anywhere though, it had to be taken out.
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lala, that is such an ordeal to go through!
nihahi, fingers crossed that it has healed enough that it won't shrink down too much without that stitch. Are you still protecting it? I wonder how long it takes for the nip to become "permanent" in shape. My PS said I can't apply any pressure to mine for three months.
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I know it's still early since the stitch was removed, but.....fingers crossed, everything is looking good. Could be my "focus" on it, but I do think the nip feels a bit softer when I press down on it, but, the projection still seems fine, and everything is healing up wonderfully.
Lahela....I had all kinds of issues with skin reactions to things when the nip was first done, and about 3 or 4 days out, had to stop using any kind of "protection". I just wore really soft, loose tops and things turned out fine. I'm now just over 3 months out, and have been wearing some compressing tops for exercise, with no issues, after about a month. I have even slept on my tummy for short periods of time, and still wake up to a happy nip. Like everything else......our experiences and our docs protocols are as different as can be sometimes!!! Hope you have wonderful results, my friend......!!!!!!!!
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Two weeks from today I will have nips. Getting excited for my "detailing."
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I'm excited for you too, teach!
Even though the only real "hiccups" for me in the whole flap recon journey have come in the nipple recon stage, having that nipple again has made a huge difference for me, and the flap recon appearance is so much more "breast looking" now......I'm betting you'll find the same happens for you too.
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Excited for you Teacher! I used to cringe when I took off my pyjama top in front of the bathroom mirror every morning, but now I grin!
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just had my consult with my PS about the nipple recon - left side reconstruct - right side was a reduction where they moved the nipple & made it smaller. He claims he only does the nipple construction from the recon skin with the areola tattooed or a full 3D tattoo - i kind of wanted the whole thing reconstructed so it would match the right side which was also restitched - i know it would have to be tattooed also for color...is it possible to go to a different PS for the final steps or does that screw up your insurance?
i'm hoping this makes sense
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Notbuyingit - I switched PS half way through and had no issues with insurance. I also had my nipple AND areola reconstructed and it looks amazing (still need to wait a while for tattoo). Love it! The areola makes all the difference - almost a perfect match to my one that I kept on the opposite side. If it is what you want, go for it! Mine was made from a skin graft from my hip - that scar is fading beautifully and I expect in another year or two will barely be visible.
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bayoubabe... please let us know who your new PS is... ( PM me if you want)0 -
Bayoubabe I would also like to know where you got the nipple and aereola recon. I am wondering if it is in Michigan-my state also. Thanks
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My PS is Dr. Dennis Hammond in Grand Rapids. Love him! Can't recommend him enough, he is fabulous, as are his results. Never thought I would look this good!
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Bayou great to hear! thanks for confirming about the areola
i know it's a bit more involved - which is probably why they don't want to do it - but i've seen just the nipple with tat areola & it looks silly - if i'm going the xtra mile i want it as close to the real thing as possible.0 -
Notbuyingit, I concur with BayouBabe about the effect of the graft areola. I love that they are a different texture to the breast skin, just like my old ones. They are awesome!!! Not that I am dissing the origami nips - I know many women on here who are thrilled with their results. Here in Switzerland, though, grafts are the first choice and I'm glad of it.
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BayouBabe thanks for the info. What the heck?! When I was looking into DIEP last October I contacted his office because of his good reputation and was told that he is not doing DIEP since the other surgeon in his office left....My insurance kept insisting that there was a surgeon in GR who does DIEP but would not give names...totally confusing! but anyhow I ended up at UofM and am also happy with choice. Travelling from UP doesnt matter if GR or AA...still a long drive!(altho I do like GR better for family trips).
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Hi ladies!
I'm so excited!!! I had a call today from Vinnie Myers' shop in Baltimore and am scheduled for my nipple tattoos in January. I wanted to go to New Orleans (closer and way more fun!), but they couldn't get me in until May. I really want to get this done ASAP and feel like life is somewhat back to normal. Those who've gone to his Maryland location: any good hotel recommendations? It's my 23rd anniversary the week of the appointment, so my husband and I will make a little trip out of it.
Thx!
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