When my daughter was twelve years old, she was roller skating in the
house we were building.  She hit a wooden stud with a nail plate which ripped
her nipple open.  It looked something like a rose bud opening, pealing the
nipple from the center back in three directions.  I rushed her to the
hospital emergency room and requested a surgeon that I had previously worked
for.  They insisted that they would have to look at it before calling the
surgeon as calling him might not be necessary.  They immediately called him
in after taking a look at it.  Under local anesthetic, the surgeon sewed the
nipple back.  He was concerned that some of the tissue was damaged so severly
that it might die and leave a gap in the nipple.  Remarkably it healed nicly,
 but did leave very noticable thick scar tissue.  The surgeon could not say
how the injury might affect breastfeeding.

      She now has one child which she nursed without any problems for 30
months.  My grandson was a marathon nurser, he could nurse for an hour and a
half at some feedings.  Apparently, all that nursing was beneficial to the
nipple because the injuried nipple now looks almost normal.

      My daughter started her nursing experience with a positive attitude
that it would work and it did.

Warmly,
Pat Lindsey, IBCLC, LLLL in Chuluota, FL