Nipple Lift and Reduction cosmetic surgery

What is Nipple Surgery?

Every breast shall droop with time. This is called ptosis in medical terms. When this happens, the Nipple/areola complex (NAC) on the breast sags downwards as well. In some women, the breast and Nipple/areola droop uniformly together. This maintains the normal anatomical relationship between the breast and the Nipple/areola.

In other women, however, the Nipple/areola may droop faster. Or, in some, the lower half of the breast may only droop but the Nipple position may not change creating an effect termed Pseudo ptosis. In many women where the droopiness of the breast is such that they may not need full breast uplift, such as those where nipples have drooped faster and ahead of breast tissue. In such patients Nipple lift through a small incision around nipple may be performed.

Nipple reduction is performed when the nipples are either very heavy, round, thick or protuberant. Areola reduction is performed where it is far too big and stretched. Both these things generally happen after pregnancy, childbirth and breast feeding.

Nipple Lift and Nipple reduction surgery, as well as Areola reduction surgery, is performed under local anesthesia, occasionally in combination with mild sedation. The recovery is immediate without the risk of sickness and other risks of general anesthesia. The main benefit is that you can see your results straight away in the sitting up position, and if you wanted any further Nipple lift or reduction, this can be accomplished there and then. However if you prefer it can also be performed under general anaesthesia.

Nipple reduction Surgery

Nipple reduction is a technique used for reshaping nipples that are overly-projecting, and thus often tend to fold over, and sometimes hang downward. This situation is most often seen in women with small breasts, and small diameter areolae. The cause may be developmental, or may be seen as a consequence of breast-feeding.

Nipple inversion correction

A woman's nipples may need corrective surgery. Inverted nipples may be partial or total. This can be corrected with a simple procedure. In some women the size and shape of areola (the pigmented area around nipples) can be embarrassingly big or misshaped. This can be addressed by nipple reduction or shape correction.

Nipple Lift Surgery

As described above if the nipple position has lowered it can be lifted up by a small incision on the top half or sometimes completely around the nipple. We often use this procedure in combination with breast implants thereby avoiding the need of full uplift with scars.

What are the risks and likely after-effects with Nipple surgery?

Cosmetic surgery, like any other surgery, involves a "trauma" to the human body and there are risks associated with any procedure. Each woman's body is different, and your general health, level of fitness, age and genetic profile will all have an effect on the speed of healing and also on the risk of side-effects.

If you smoke, drink alcohol, are overweight and/or take drugs for medical or other reasons, the risk of complication during and after surgery can be greatly increased. Smoking, in particular, is discouraged because it increases the risk both of infection and thrombosis (blood clots).

After nipple surgery it is normal for all women to experience swelling, bruising, tiredness and numbness. A smaller number may also encounter infection and/or some bleeding around the scar area, and sometimes infection from germs which are present in the ducts of the breast. Infection can be treated with antibiotics, though this can delay the healing process somewhat.

You are also very likely to experience a loss of sensitivity in your nipples, which usually improves in the months after surgery, but can occasionally remain permanently in about 7 % patients.

Scarring is a normal and unavoidable consequence of this procedure, and will vary in appearance and severity, depending on the extent of surgery and on your body type. The nipple disc and the area underneath the breast are the most likely areas to be affected. Your scars will certainly reduce and fade over a period of months and, whilst permanent, should not be visible under the average bra or bikini top. Most women consider scarring to be an acceptable "trade-off" for correcting the problem.

Another side-effect of nipple surgery is the inability to breast-feed as the procedure involves the separation of the nipple from the underlying milk ducts. Whilst nipple surgery is not a counter-indication to pregnancy, you should be aware of the effect on breast feeding.
 
What will happen after the Nipple Lift or Reduction operation?

Your surgeon will see you when you have recovered to check that all is well, and will discharge you providing you are fit to return home. You will be given medication and full post-operative instructions along with appropriate telephone numbers in case you need to contact us at any time. A special elasticated garment will have been applied to your chest wall after surgery and this must be left in place for the next 4 weeks. Some pinkish discharge may be experienced.
 
Week 1-2

During the first week after surgery, you should not remove the garment at all. You should try to resume normal daily activities as soon as possible: general mobility will help speed up the healing process. You should not, however, undertake any strenuous activity or exercise. You will see the nurse after 7-10 days so that she can check your progress and remove your dressing and stitches. Bruising and swelling will continue to diminish.
 
Weeks 6 -10

By this stage you should be able to see good results but full results will take 6 months to appear. Bruising and swelling will have disappeared. You may find that there is still some irregularity or lumpiness in the chest wall, but this will settle down after a couple of months, aided by regular massage. You will see your surgeon once more at between 8 and 10 weeks after your operation for a full post-operative consultation.
 
Full Post-Operative Cover

We're confident that you will be delighted with the results of your Nipple surgery. For that reason, we guarantee that we will provide post-operative cover for a full three years after your procedure. It's our way of ensuring that you have peace of mind and confidence in LINIA.