Hello everyone
I was wondering if anyone could share their experience of nipple recon with me?
I have finally had my LD flap recon completed and my good side has been uplifted to match.
I see my surgeon in 3 months for a check up, and also want to discuss the nipple recon then too.
Has anyone had it done? How was it done? How long did it take?
Are you pleased with the result? Did it make a difference to your overall result?
Thanks
Naz
Hi Naz
Like you I had a LD recon and my good side lifted and reduced.
I had my nipple recon in Sept last year and I am having it tattooed tomorrow!!
The nipple recon was done by taking a graft of skin from my groin and I was extremely pleased at the outcome… It has since flattened a lot, which I was warned about but it doesn’t actually bother me terribly much… my recon just looks much more like a breast with something there
The op wasnt very long …about an hour and a half I think… I had my port removed at the same time.
Recovery was a doddle but had to be very very careful not to knock or lie on the graft… so didn’t sleep very well for the first week to ten days. I also had to be careful when driving as it is my left breast and the seatbelt would have rubbed it so I bought a children’s seatbelt adjuster from Halfords
Good luck
I’m soooo excited about tomorrow!!
E x
Thannks for your reply queen of rt
Can i ask, what do you think of your LD recon?
Does it sit quite high?
Does it move?
Is it soft or hard?
Sorry for all the q’s- i am so unsure about mine at present, just wanted to get an idea of what other recons of a similar nature were like?
Thanks
Naz z
Hi Naz
I had the same as you. I had nipple recon, can’t remember if it was Winter of 2010 or early 2011, had so many ops and still not finished but I called it a day! The LD recon plus implant sits on my chest like reinforced concrete, it would not move in a force 9 gale. Re faux nipple: They used a method called CV flap, it was covered for a week, few stitches which dissolved (in about a week) and hey presto a large, new nipple. It was under a local analgesic and took around 20 minutes. I have no feeling in the recon so it did not hurt at all. Unfortunately it has flattened a lot, barely protruding now and much smaller than the good side. I had micropigmented tattoos (3 times) and that too has faded so it is barely noticeable. Even so I am happier with the recon now it has a nipple on it as it feels more breastlike to the touch. It still does not really look that breastlike: if it was a face it would be one that has too much botox, sort of frozen…Still, I am happier than if it was not there at all, though I wonder if it will ever feel comfortable. Good luck, Jane
Hi Naz,
I had my nipple recon on 16th Jan.
My ld reconstruction with implant was done a few years ago.
I am fairly pleased with the recon, although p surgeon did liposuction on the recon side as i had a little too much fat left over at first. My recon is a good match for my nat breast so am not considering having it lifted, although there is more volume in the top half of recon, it isnt that noticeable.
He did the nipple by cutting a flap of skin in the recon and twisting it round somehow! I,m surprised how good it looks even at this early stage. I have disolvable stitches in and have been advised to wear a sterile pad inside my bra (they will give you these in hosp) with the centre cut out, so as not to flatten the nipple. I have had no pain (apart from bruising where he did lipo).
I stayed in two nights. I suffered from feeling sick on and off the first week, due to the anaesthetic.
I have to wait 12 weeks now for the tattooing.
Hope this helps.
Rosie x
Hi Naz
Feel free to ask questions
It does sit higher than the original but since I’ve had the other one lifted they are a pretty good match
In the beginning ( I had mx at same time by the way) it was solid and unmoving but now much better on both scores
It obviously doesn’t move as much as my real one but it does move
It is heavier than my real one but neither are very big so not an issue
The one thing I don’t like is the way the implant feels and at some point in the future I plan on asking my surgeon to swap it for a permanent implant
Had my tattoo this morning! Advantage of total loss of sensation… not at all painful!
E x
Hi
I had my nipple recon on both breasts done 10 days ago. My consultant used the method of cutting the skin in my breast and twisting it around to form the nipples. I had the dressings off on Wednesday but am really worried that the nipples are not healing properly, both have an area where it looks like a stitch should have been or where one has come undone and I’m worried that they might become infected. The nurse told me to wear a dressing with a hole cut out in the middle to stop them going flat and didn’t seem to concerned that they still looked quite raw. Has anyone else had this? I’m thinking about ringing the hospital tomorrow but its about 2 hours from my house and school hols so don’t want to do an unnecessary journey if I’m just being over anxious.
Lots of love
Debs x