Breast Cancer Patients Aided by Nipple Reconstruction Techniques

When it comes to a full victory over breast cancer, defeating the disease is often only half the battle. Many women undergo breast reconstruction after a mastectomy –a process that can include rebuilding the breast through surgical flaps or implants, fabricating the nipple, and even nipple tattooing to produce a natural-looking skin color. When it comes to a full victory over breast cancer, defeating the disease is often only half the battle. Many women undergo breast reconstruction after a mastectomy –a process that can include rebuilding the breast through surgical flaps or implants, fabricating the nipple, and even nipple tattooing to produce a natural-looking skin color.

Sadly, breast reconstruction surgery is highly common, with nearly 80,000 reconstructions performed each year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But the final appearance can be crucial to a woman’s sense of well-being. Fortunately, new techniques developed over the past several years are giving more and more women who undergo breast reconstruction reason to feel whole again.

One such technique involves recreating the nipple mound using the adjacent tissue that provides the extra projection on the breast mound, has a different texture from that of the breast. As a final step after the breast and nipple have been rebuilt, patients can undergo nipple tattooing.

The tattoos are usually added months after the other operations are complete. Creating the nipple tattoos is actually a multi-step procedure using electric needles and colored dye to add a natural-looking areolar surface and can make post-operation scarring less obvious.

Specialist Barbara Shimoda, who performs the procedure for Timeless Image Aesthetics in New York City, explained that if the scarring is very heavy, the skin may reject the tattoo ink. To prevent this, she often has to break down any heavy scarring with a laser or microdermabrasion.

Breast reconstruction is generally covered by insurance and, beginning to end, can range in price from around $6,500 to more than $11,000.

Even so, some women choose not to undergo breast reconstruction after cancer surgery, choosing instead to focus simply on the fact that they conquered the disease.