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How Will Nipple Surgery During Breast Lift Affect Breast Feeding?

asked 2 years ago by mittsy
Latest answer by Tom J. Pousti, MD
Question viewed 1,034 times
Tags: areola, breasts, nipples, female, breast feeding, weight loss, elasticity, skin, thin

I have lost well over a hundred pounds. My breasts now feels like my grandmother's skin. They have lost most of their elasticity and are practically paper thin.

For a Breast lift procedure, in what circumstances is the nipple detached? Would the areola/nipple complex have to be removed for a Breast lift on someone with such major sagging? If so, what would be my chances of still being able to breast feed?

16 answers to How Will Nipple Surgery During Breast Lift Affect Breast Feeding?

Breast-feeding after Breast Lifting?

Thank you for the question. Generally, the nipple/areola are not “detached” when performing breast lifting surgery. Yes there is a risk of a decreased ability to breast-feed after breast lifting surgery. Exact percentages are hard to come by ( because some ladies are not able to breast-feed even without having undergone breast surgery) but my estimation would be 5 percent risk of a decreased or complete loss of ability to... more

Tom J. Pousti, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Inadequate breast feeding

now the nipples will still be attached to the rest of the breast tissue when doing breast reduction unless taken as a skin grafts which i dont think its you case all patient have to know that milk production will be affected to certain degree because we in this procedure will remove some of the breast glandular tissue. we can not tell you that breast feeding will disappear completely or it will stay the same 100 % .

Nawarah Alarfaj, MD
Saudi Arabia Plastic Surgeon

Breast feeding usually possible after breast lift

Typically, an implant placed beneath the pectoral muscle would be required to restore volume in the breast you described. The breast tissue and nipple could then be lifted up and placed over the implant to restore the breast shape with the implant supplying the volume. Any excess skin would be excised or removed. It's unlikely the nipple/areola complex would have to be totally detached; this is usually reserved for a few instances in breast reduction cases. As far as breast feeding goes,... more

Deason Dunagan, MD
Huntsville Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift will not affect breast feeding.

Hi. in a well done breast lift, the nipple is slid up but never detached. Breast feeding is not affected. Breast feeding is not even affected in a breast reduction.

George J. Beraka, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Nipple surgery during Breast Lift and breast feeding

In most cases, in full breast lifting, the nipple/areolar complex is left attached to the pedicle flap. So there is a higher percentage of attaining normal sensation and breast feeding postoperatively. I have not heard of removing the nipple/areolar complex in only a breast lift, but in a long pedicled reduction/lift that is one of the surgical options. If this free nipple/areolar graft is done the possibilities of having decreased or absence of sensation and the in ability to breast feed... more

Darryl J. Blinski, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Nipple Sensation After Breast Lift

During a breast lift the nipple areolar complex is maintained on the breast tissue and the surrounding skin is elevated off of this tissue. The nipple tissue must stay on this tissue to give it blood supply. Because of this the nerves are not disrupted and the sensation should not be or only minimally be affected. The nipple areolar complex should never be removed as a graft and replaced during a breast lift. This can occur during a breast reduction if the surgeon uses an inferior... more

Christopher L. Hess, MD
Fairfax Plastic Surgeon

www.hessplasticsurgery.com

Breast lift and potential for nursing.

This is difficult to say or predict. Even without surgery you may not be able to nurse. That having been said, even in severe case of breast ptosis (sag) the nipple and areola are not removed or detached despite the appearance of the scars.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast lifts rarely compromise breast feeding

A breast lift rarely compromises a womans ability to breast feed. The various incisions used for a breast lift do not involve cutting through the milk ducts. Therefore, a womens ability to breast feed should not be compromised. A free nipple graft is not routinely performed when doing a breast lift. It is usually only performed for breast reduction surgery and only in a few instances. These include patients with a significant amount of breast sagging or for patients in which there is a... more

David A. Robinson, MD
Munster Plastic Surgeon

Breast Feeding is almost always possible after a Breast Lift

Hi there- In almost all cases and with most techniques, your chances of being able to successfully breast feed after a breast lift should be very high, although diminished milk production is possible. Removal of your nipple (and thus an absolute inability to breast feed) would only be necessary if in addition to being droopy, your breasts were very large. Only a well trained, board certified plastic surgeon could responsibly advise you on this issue after an appropriate physical exam... more

Armando Soto, MD
Orlando Plastic Surgeon

www.DrArmandoSoto.com

Breast Lift

I have never heard of removing the nipple with a breast lift. If you were able to breast feed before a breast lift you will probably be able to do so after a lift. BUT, you might want to have the baby and breast feed BEFORE you do the breast lift because you will stretch everything out again with pregnancy.

John P. Stratis, MD
Harrisburg Plastic Surgeon

Breast lift can preserve the ability to breast feed

Breast lift can pose a risk to breast feeding and nipple sensation, though most often the risk is small, and the surgery can be patterned or adjusted to reduce the risk if breast feeding is important to you. In the case of very large weight loss the breast is thin and deflated, and the skin envelope is simply too large. Your breast lift will need to be designed to take up the skin as the breast and nipple are lifted. The nipple is not detached from the ducts and circulation as the skin... more

Peter E. Johnson, MD
Chicago Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift and Breast Feeding

Usually the nipple and areola complex is left intact to the breast tissue and the breast tissue with the NAC is moved into the desired location. As far as breast feeding goes, in general women who are able to breast feed before a breast lift are able to breast feed afterwards. Some do lose the ability to breast feed in certain cases. Good luck.

Farbod Esmailian, MD
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift

Congratulations on the weight loss. When performing a breast lift, the nipple is not usually detached, but some glandular tissue may be detached from the nipple areola during the procedure. This may impact breast feeding.

Steven Wallach, MD
Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

There is a small risk in breast lift

For the breast lift, there is no need for the detaching the the nipple/aerola complex. You should not lose your sensatton or ability to breastfeed. There are always exceptions and also, patients cannot breast feed because of their antomy. Please have a consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon to get more detail information.

Kamran Khoobehi, MD
New Orleans Plastic Surgeon

Free nipple grafts are rarely done

There are very few instances in which a free nipple graft is done and most of these are in reductions not just lifts. It all depends on one's anatomy so meet with a few experienced plastic surgeons and ask what's best for you.

Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS
Seattle Plastic Surgeon

Breast Lift and nipple sensation

The need for removing the nipple during surgery depends upon how much sagging you have, and this can only be determined by an examination. In general, we almost never have to remove the nipple for a breast lift. It's hard to predict whether or not you'll be able to breastfeed afterwards, as 10-15% of women cannot breastfeed even without surgery. If you were able to breastfeed before, and the nipple is not removed during surgery, then you should be able to breastfeed again. There are no... more