How to correct inverted nipples

Correction of inverted nipples is a minor outpatient, office procedure with little downtime.

During surgery, you may remain awake or take a mild oral sedative, as long as you have someone to drive you home.

The nipples and areolas are made numb using local anesthetic injection, they are prepped and draped sterily, and tight ligaments that extend between the nipple skin and the breast tissue below are gently cut to loosen them.

This procedure is done under loupe magnification (microscope glasses).

I am very careful not to completely transect (divide) the ducts leading to the nipple opening, so that future breast feeding is still likely possible, and to avoid loss of nipple sensation.

Karen M. Horton, MD, MSc, FRCSC