Rarely women have inverted nipples which can be embarrassing and stressful. In this situation nipple correction surgery may help. There is the following classification for nipple correction:

Grade 1: the inverted nipple can easily be pulled out with finger pressure around the areola.

Grade 2: pressure should be applied to relax the nipples.

Grade 3: the nipples are so overgrown to the tissue that they cannot be relaxed at all, which requires surgery. Milk ducts are often constricted, and breastfeeding can be impossible in this case.

Inverted nipple surgery

At the beginning of the surgery, the surgeon will cut under your nipple and free it from the surrounding overgrown tissue. A stitch is secured around the nipple to keep it in a protruding position. Inverted nipple surgery can be performed under both local and general anaesthesia. The patient can check out at the same day after surgery. The surgery takes about 30-60 minutes.

The patient should avoid doing anything strenuous for the first days after surgery. Most of them can return to work in a few days. Slight swelling or bruising is completely normal. Pain medications can be prescribed if the patient has pain. The patient should avoid wearing padded bras or tight tops for the first 2 weeks after surgery. Compression on the nipple should be avoided. The recovery varies from patient to patient.