might be keeping nipples - any tips?

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elise24601
elise24601 Member Posts: 155
edited August 2016 in Breast Reconstruction

Since chemo shrunk my tumors so much, there is a possibility I may get to keep my nipples at the time of surgery. Would love to hear from those who had nipple sparing done - do they look normal afterwards, or misplaced/asymmetrical? How can I keep them healthy - some mention there is a risk of necrosis since they don't get blood flow the same as before.

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  • VegGal
    VegGal Member Posts: 507
    edited July 2016

    I had nip sparing BMX in March. They look normal, just a little paler than originally. They came through surgery like champs, but if there had been issues, the doc would have used nitro glycerin paste or other measures to help keep them going.

    I was expecting my nips to just lie there and be cute, but oh no! They react hyperactively to contact with air, movement, etc and are consequently almost always on "high alert." My dreams of going braless in public on occasion were dashed until I discovered "Nippies" nipple covers on Amazon. Now all is well.

    Good luck to you! I hope you can keep the nips and all goes smoothly!

    Carla

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  • pab
    pab Member Posts: 53
    edited July 2016

    I had nipple sparing bmx July 2015. One nipple made it the other had some trouble. The problem side was also the side with sentinel node disection. Just a lot going on on that side. My aereola is there but my nipple just didn't. I really think I could live with it as is but might opt for tattooing. My biggest problem is that they point outward quite a bit. I was a DDD prior so there was a lot of skin to deal with. I just had my exchange surgery -July 7- and the PS tried to pull them in a little but wasn't able to too much- she said she didn't want to squish the implant too much. So I'm really glad to have my own aereola and nipple I just feel more me even though they are a little off. It still is early tho only 3 1/2 weeks. I would just make sure you are up front with your PS and constantly tell him or her what you want- not what they want.

    Hope this helps a little!

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  • MsVeryDenseBreasts
    MsVeryDenseBreasts Member Posts: 100
    edited August 2016

    FYI, I had a nipple sparing BMX Oct '15. When I had the TE's they looked uneven. The PS fixed it when I got the implants. They are perfectly symmetrical now. It took several weeks after the first surgery for them to look good. The PS will know what to do if any sort of treatment or salve is required. About 6 mos after my exchange surgery I regained full feeling on one side (unexpected). The left side does not have much feeling but I'm okay with that. Probably 90% of the time they look erect. I don't care. Everyone has the same parts. It's nothing exotic. If I'm dressed for business I camouflage the headlights. If I'm at the gym or in the dance studio I let 'em fly. In a way it's a badge of endurance! :)

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  • jodiann808
    jodiann808 Member Posts: 3
    edited August 2016

    I had a nipple sparing bilateral mastectomy in June. During my mastectomy surgery, my plastic surgeon put nitro paste on my nipples to increase blood flow to help prevent necrosis. Several hours after my surgery, I developed the most excruciating migraine-like headache. After several hours, my nurse realized it was the nitro paste causing the headache. It took another few hours for her to get ahold of my doctor to get permission to wipe off the nitro paste. Once they wiped it off and gave me Imitrex (a migraine med), my headache completely disappeared.

    For the first couple weeks after my surgery, my nipples scabbed a bit. Plastic surgeon had me apply bacitracin twice a day. Eventually, the scabs flaked off and now my nipples look normal. I'm currently in the expansion phase (will have my implant swap surgery in a few weeks), so I don't know what the final result will look like. However, I have to say, right now, I'm really surprised how normal my breasts look - skin looks a tiny bit bruised, but everything looks pretty much like it's supposed to (mastectomy scars are hidden in the folds under my breasts). Like some of the others, mine are also constantly erect. Since learning from my plastic surgeon that I don't need to wear a bra if I don't want to, I also ordered the "Nippies" from Amazon and can't wait to receive them.

    Good luck with everything!

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  • Lifeisntover
    Lifeisntover Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2016

    Hello there - nice to see a forum for this.  My diagnosis to the OR happened within about 10 days, so I had to make my decisions quickly.  DCIS and IDS in left breast.  Tumor was 4.1cm.   I elected a double mastectomy, reconstruction and nipple sparing on July 8.  One nipple is healing just fine, but the one where they removed the lymph nodes is having trouble -  partial necrosis.  I see my PS on Wednesday, and he is going to need to remove the part of the nip that has the necrosis, as it can impact the health of the implant.  He'll work his magic and be able to preserve the rest of the nipple and do a minor reconstruction procedure once that skin has healed. 

    I know this sounds shallow, but now that the cancer is out I, like you, want to look/feel the best that I can...to feel normal again.  Since the necrosis is there, I asked him if it was too late to just remove both nipples, all together, and he said that's still an option.  I'm considering that option and may go the tattoo/nipple reconstruction route.  Has anyone experienced this route?

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