The Most Common Complication of Breast Reduction? | Areola Depigmentation and Medical Tattooing

Breast reduction surgery

reduces large breasts while also

lifting sagging nipples

to an appropriate position.

The biggest complication that can occur

during this process is

'Nipple necrosis'

.

If the size is reduced too much,

the blood circulation to the nipple and areola also decreases,

and as a result, nipple necrosis occurs,

causing the nipple to turn black.

However, when surgery is performed

at a specialized hospital,

this possibility is very low,

so it is rarely seen.

Cases in which blood flow is completely cut off

and the nipple undergoes total necrosis

are extremely rare.

More often, the blood vessels become twisted and blood flow becomes unstable,

or blood enters the nipple well but venous circulation does not drain properly,

leading to partial areolar damage.

In such cases, the dark brown areola

partially turns white,

causing a mottled appearance,

which is the so-called depigmentation.

In fact, surgical treatment in these cases

is not easy.

There are methods such as skin grafting or epidermal grafting

using normal areolar tissue from the opposite side,

but after reduction surgery, the opposite areola

has also been reduced in size,

so in most cases, there is no suitable donor site.

The nipple and areola are special tissues limited to the breast area,

so it is difficult to find tissue for transplantation elsewhere.

In such cases, medical tattooing,

which fills the depigmented area with pigment similar to the surrounding color,

is a good option.

In the case of regular tattoos,

visual design elements are important,

so consideration of each person's skin characteristics

is relatively less important.

However, in special situations involving postoperative scar tissue,

the medical staff's medical knowledge and experience

are very important.

The thickness of the areolar dermis

The thickness of the scar tissue

Treatment must be performed with these two factors in mind,

and it must also be able to address

potential complications that may arise in scar tissue.

In ordinary tattooing,

single colors or basic colors are used,

but even when the areola is dark brown,

the exact shade varies subtly from person to person,

so customized color matching is necessary.

That is why it is important to undergo the procedure

at a medical institution with extensive experience.

Everyone wants a surgical result

without complications,

but surgery and complications

are inseparable.

Therefore, it is important to have in place

comprehensive treatment methods

that can properly address any complications

that may arise after surgery.