Inverted Nipple Correction Seattle

Nipple repair is a procedure used by plastic surgeons like Dr. Javad Sajan to help women and men alike address inverted nipples – a challenging condition that often affects one's self-esteem and body image. Visit Dr. Sajan for some of the best results in inverted nipple correction Seattle has to offer.

Nipple inversion may be caused by a congenital condition in either men or women. It occurs in about 2% of all women. Breastfeeding may trigger a response in some nursing women that causes their milk ducts to constrict and the nipples to invert. In turn, this response may affect the woman's ability to breastfeed. For others, inverted nipples are caused by an imbalance between the milk ducts and the muscle inside the nipple that is responsible for projecting the structure outward. If the inward tension of the milk ducts overpowers the muscle, it causes nipple inversion.

Nipple inversion is "graded" to help define the degree of inversion:

• Grade 1 – nipples are inverted but have the ability to project in response to manual contact, stimulation, or in cold temperatures.
• Grade 2 – considered a moderate inversion, nipples can't project as easily or as long as with the Grade 1 response; milk ducts may be constricting and a woman's breastfeeding ability may be compromised.
• Grade 3 – this is a severe nipple inversion in which the nipples never project. The man or woman with Grade 3-level inversion may have nipple hygiene issues and struggle with rashes or infections of the nipple area. For women with Grade 3 inversion, breastfeeding may be almost impossible.

You can expect your inverted nipple correction in Seattle to take place as an outpatient procedure in our state-licensed surgical center. The procedure will last about one hour, though it can take longer depending on the severity of the inversion. In most cases, the procedure will be performed with local anesthesia, unless it's being combined with another surgery. In that case, Dr. Sajan's team will administer general anesthesia instead.

To begin the operation, Dr. Sajan will make a small incision in the areola (darker-pigmented area) at the base of the nipple. He will either detach the milk ducts (to release a contracture) or lift the nipple and areola tissue from the breast and (using interior sutures) stitch them into a new and projected or reverted shape. When the reshaping is complete, the incision will be sutured closed and a medicated gauze will be applied to the area.

Before & After