After my last breastfeeding class one of the mothers showed me her nipples
and asked if I thought there was any chance of her being able to
breastfeed.  And oh my goodness--these were most amazingly inverted
nipples.  They looked liked deeply dimpled nipples but were firmly anchored
into the breast tissue.  The tip of the nipple itself is about 1 cm (3/8
inch) below the level of the areola.  It could be felt but not teased out
even a little bit.  She's due in a month.  I told her how doubly important
it would be for her baby to be alert (non-medicated) if at all possible to
give them the best chance, and figured if he could latch onto the areolar
tissue around the buried nipple maybe there was a possibility.  It will be
an awfully big mouthful, and I know there's also a good possibility the
ducts will be kinked in there.  If baby can't do it we'll try pumping and
go from there.

But anyway, my question is really about surgery.  I know it's too late for
this pregnancy, but I'm thinking in the future.  I have an article in my
files  from _Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery_, April 1983, "A Simple
Method for the Correction of the Inverted Nipple."  It describes a
procedure to free up the inverted nipple and states "the lactiferous ducts
are not divided, and there is no loss of duct continuity nor inability to
nurse."  The pictures are pretty impressive--the before is of a definitely
inverted or dimpled nipple and afterward they look completely normal.  Has
anyone heard of this being done?  I know this is a 15-year-old article but
it sure looked promising.  The authors are from Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
 Any anecdotal information from anyone would be appreciated.

Becky Krumwiede, RN, IBCLC, Appleton, WI
[log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]