Nipple Reconstruction w/o thigh skin?

Hi,

Vicki Z here. Still trying to get the hang of this new site. I'm considering having my nipple reconstruction now since I crafted a memo good enough to have my insurance co. (Blue Cross) make an exception for my plastic surgeon's fees who dropped Blue Cross (so I won't have to pay out-of-pocket so much). Here's my question: My doctor wants to use skin from my inner thigh (ouch!) and I know of a local woman who had a hard time with it healing. I'm a bit "over" being cut up so much and I'm wondering (short of implanting a pencil eraser underneath the skin) if he could pinch up the skin with a suture some how and simply tattoo it. He's a perfectionist so I want to go in there with some alternatives. I've heard of skate, CV, Bell and keyhole flaps. Anything easier than these that can give the look of a nipple without cutting? Thanks,

Vicki

[Sheila]

Vicki
I ran into the same problem..my plastic surgeon wanted to do a skin graft from my groin....OUCH....he said it was the most realistic outcome...of course then he wanted to do a breast lift on my unaffected side.....I looked at him & said....I'm 53...perky won't look natural on someone my age. Needless to say, I've had neither...my friend had hers created by pulling up skin from the reconstructed breast, then tattooed...it looked fine.....I bought a set of silicone nipples (1 with a spare) for that sudden urge to go braless (never). I figure if I am going to get a tattoo, it will be something I want like a butterfly or palmtree!

Hugs
Sheila

[kristen]

Hi Vicki,

I haven't had mine yet, but I am going with the one mentioned above, where they take the skin, twist and it looks like a nipple. There is another person from this site that had the ouch one done and said it wasn't painful or that painful. I will email her and see if she can respond to your post. Let me know how yours goes, I have to make my apt. soon to have this done. My best to you.

I had a double mast. with reconstructive surgery. To create the ariola my ps used my inner thigh and it did not hurt at all. The inner thigh has a darker color. Over time it fades a bit. A tattoo may be just as good. The nipples are difficult to create because you want them to be a bit raised. Mine have faded and I do not wear a bra. To create the nipple my ps used the top of my second and third toe on my foot. It looks good but the RT to the breast has really done a lot of damage to my left breast.

[madubois63]

My surgeon cut into the skin in a circle with ripples when he did the initial surgery so that it healed raised. He then took skin from the thigh for the nipple. It did not hurt me at all. My ex quit his job leaving the children and I without insurance so I was unable to complete the tattoo. Several years later, a friend took me to Mexico on vacation. Somehow, I found myself in a small tattoo shop with my shirt off. The owner closed the shop down for me, pulled the curtains on the main window and there I was...the cute artist stared at my breasts. It took longer for him to match the color than it did to actually do the tattoo. I did not feel a thing at all and I did not have any tequila in me....cost me $50.00. He did an amazing job!!
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-:¦:- ((¸¸.Maryann -:¦:-´´