Before and after right nipple and areola reconstruction in a 62 year old breast cancer survivor. Her nipple required removal during her mastectomy, and she unfortunately also required a skin graft to her DIEP flap due to mastectomy skin necrosis (skin loss due to poor blood supply from overaggressive thinning of the skin).
At the time of her nipple reconstruction, the skin graft was excised and her inframammary fold was reconstructed. Her right nipple was reconstructed using the nipple sharing or free nipple graft technique, taking half of the left nipple and moving it over to the right side. The left nipple became 50% smaller but retained normal sensation.
Her areola was reconstructed by medial tattoo at the same procedure. Follow up photos are shown 3 months after nipple and areola reconstruction. This final procedure always is the “icing on the cake”, allowing women to feel less like a Barbie doll and more like they have a natural breast again.
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
