A collapsed nipple is a condition in which part or all of the nipple is embedded inwards. Nipple collapse may be congenital or later. It is usually noticed during adolescence when the breasts begin to develop. This situation brings both aesthetic, functional and psychological problems. 2-3 out of a hundred women present this problem, either unilaterally or bilaterally, and may be reluctant to mention it to those around them.
Due to the accumulation of secretions from the nipple and the difficulty of cleaning, there may be difficulties in breastfeeding the baby with problems such as infection. The most important reason for this problem is the inadequacy of the development of milk ducts. Since the milk ducts are opened to the nipple, the fact that this part is turned inward makes it difficult for the baby to catch the nipple and prevents the flow of milk. In addition, because it does not look aesthetically pleasing, it can damage the person’s self-confidence and cause psychological and sexual problems.
If nipple collapse has been present since the developmental age, this may also be a sign that the milk ducts are not forming. In these cases, the milk ducts are completely closed and these channels may have fiber-like ligaments in place and these ligaments may have pulled the nipple in. No matter how much attention is paid in such cases, milk does not come from the milk ducts after pregnancy because there are no normal milk ducts. If the nipple cannot be taken out at all when compressed between two fingers, such a discomfort should be suspected. In these patients, only the image can be corrected by surgery, but it is not possible to breastfeed the patient’s baby.
A collapse of the nipple is treated surgically. It is possible to correct the inward-facing nipples with an operation performed under local anesthesia and lasting up to 1 hour. There are many surgical methods to correct this problem. The common point of all methods is to cut the ligaments that pull the nipple in and to put a temporary or permanent support under the nipple. In the majority of the techniques applied in surgery, the milk ducts need to be cut to pull the nipple out. If the ducts are not cut, the nipple collapses again after surgery.
Because the main reason is that the milk ducts pull the nipple inwards. Therefore, breastfeeding is not possible in the future due to the cutting of the milk ducts. With surgery, the collapsed nipple is brought to its normal anatomical position. As a result, the collapse of the nipple is made especially for aesthetic concerns or to correct the appearance. Patients can return to normal life within a few days after surgery. Sometimes it can be seen that the nipple corrected by surgery returns to its former state over time.
