What is nipple correction surgery?
Nipple correction is a surgical procedure to correct the size, shape or position of a nipple that is enlarged, asymmetrical, protruding or inverted. Both men and women can suffer with this problem, which can sometimes cause discomfort.
What’s involved in nipple correction surgery?
Nipple correction surgery is usually a simple procedure done under local anaesthetic, taking around 30 minutes to perform. Sometimes you may be offered sedation too.
An enlarged or extended nipple will require a nipple reduction, which is a quick surgery. Nipples that are low or point downwards can benefit from a nipple lift. People with inverted nipples can have this corrected too. The exact procedure depends on how normal the shape of the nipple is. Sometimes the milk ducts inside the nipple have to be released or divided to allow the nipple to protrude, so for women this may have an impact on future breastfeeding. Soluble stitches are usually used in nipple correction and there should be little scarring.
How long will it take me to recover from nipple correction?
You’re likely to experience some discomfort for a few days, but you should be able to return to work within 2 or 3 days, although if your work is strenuous then you may need to take a week off to ensure you’re fully recovered.
What are the risks of nipple correction?
There is a small risk of infection, and with some procedures you may be told to expect some discharge from the nipple, but generally there are no complications to nipple correction surgery, other than potential damage to the milk ducts — if this is likely to happen, then this will be explained to you beforehand. Cosmetic results are usually good, but in a few cases there may be asymmetry between the nipples, or a corrected inverted nipple may invert again.
How much does nipple correction cost?
Prices for nipple correction start from around £1000 for surgery on one nipple, to around £3000 for treatment for both nipples.
