I had a subcutaneous mastectomy with nipple grafts 9 days ago. The edge of one of the nipples has this this white stuff on it. When I let water run over it in the shower, the water ran slightly under the edge of the nipple scab. Is this my graft rejecting? Or does it just need more time to heal from the bottom up?
1 photo
Answers (3)
From board-certified doctors and trusted medical professionals
MOST RECENT
February 7, 2015
Answer: Mastectomy- Nipple Graft slightly separated with thick white substance. Is this my graft rejecting?
If a mastectomy is performed without reconstruction, your breast surgeon will be monitoring the drain output and if reconstruction is performed, your plastic surgeon will be monitoring the drain. Generally we wait for drain output to be less than 30cc in a 24 hour period for two...
You have to trust your surgeon as your surgeon knows what was done and how your implant (if it was used) is protected. Attempting to close an open wound is truly just an attempt as it most likely will break down as yours did. But if there is no implant exposure or implant, your wound...
Another option not mentioned is sclerotherapy via the drain. After mastectomies, lymphatics are often surgically divided, and must heal or regenerate to take that lymphatic fluid away from the operative cavity. So, drainage for an extended period is fairly common. When this happens, time is ...