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About Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS
Expertise
Dr. Engler has answered over 2700 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience
Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials
Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (undergraduate) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (medical school). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
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You are here: Experts > Health/Fitness > Surgery > Plastic Surgery > nipple graft
Expert: Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS - 10/29/2009
Question
QUESTION: i had a breast reduction which resulted in a breast lift with free nipple graft. 3 week ago. my nipples were in bolsters. when removed i was given petrolatum dressings to wear. something went terrible wrong. my nipples began to look like they were burned where all you see is the pink flesh. most of the skin is off of the nipples. they look horrible and i cry every day. how / why did this happen? how long will this go on? what will become of my nipples when this is over?
ANSWER: from Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
Hi Connie,
I'm obviously very sorry for what's happening - but it could be a few different things and you need to be discussing this with your plastic surgeon.
The most likely thing, actually, is just that the outer layers of the skin are sloughing (coming off) but that most of the tissue is going to survive. If this is the case, then there may be some pigmentary changes (lighter or darker than your nearby skin) but these tend to even out with time, even if not perfectly.
If, however, the tissue has not survived, then, once you're healed you may need to undergo any of a series of reconstructive procedures. Needless to say, I hope this is not the case.
Either way, though, you really need to ask this of your PS; I can't help via this online forum more than what I've mentioned above...
sorry about that,
Dr. E
www.bodysculpture.com
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thank you Dr. E for your sincere concerns. i have another concern with the breast surgery gone wrong, my nipples before the surgery were perfect, they stuck out all of the time , now since the surgery, they are sunk in. the doctor who did the surgery now tell me that this is common. but this is unacceptable. i look like a freak. now my nipples will stay sunk in for good he tells me and offered no way of correcting this. i am completely embarrassed by this. will they stay like that for good? i thought they were like that due to the surgery but now another thing has gone wrong. i am so sad by this.
Answer
Hi Connie,
Unfortunately, it is, in my experience, very hard to correct the appearance of the nipples after a procedure such as this. The good news is that as the remaining breast tissue drops and comes forward, the nipples may be pushed out a bit since that's the natural direction for them to go based on the way the tissue will push them out.
That being said, I don't know of another way to work on the nipples after surgery like this, so hopefully they will just come forward enough on their own.
Sorry about that...
Dr. E
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