Confused about puffy nipple post-op

[torontopatient]

Docs,

I'll start my second thread by again thanking everyone here who spends the time to address the concerns of so many.

Here's a quick synopsis of my post-op situation and hopefully you can provide some insight:
It has been 6 weeks - the first week my chest was perfectly flat with one small oddity - my right areola wasn't completely "stuck" to my chest and resembled a small flap of skin that would easily fold over itself. There was no tissue underneath, just loose skin you could easily pinch together.

From week 2 onwards I've developed quite a bit of scar tissue directly beneath and extending a bit outside of both areolas - tissue that wasn't present the first week. While my left side still looks quite good, my right nipple is now extremely puffy. It still feels hollow directly under the areola, and if you run your finger across the areola the skin basically folds over itself - I can pinch the nipple and the skin folds together with little resistance. When my nipples are erect (i.e. after a shower) it shrinks about half of its size but is still noticeably puffier than the left side.

Have any of you seen something similar to what I'm describing? I fear having revision surgery down the road, and hopefully something like kenalog injections (or simply more time) will do the trick. I am still massaging regularly...anything else to be done?

Thanks in advance.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Obviously it is impossible to diagnose your situation.  In general, feeling your breasts, particularly after surgery, is a fools errand -- you just don't know.  And remember, each breast heals independently -- so differences in the healing process are the norm, not the exception.

It is extremely early in the healing process and nothing can or should be done at this time.  If you trusted your surgeon to perform the surgery, then you should trust his advice for the foreseeable future.

Best to settle down, get on with your life, and allow Mother Nature to heal.  Visit your surgeon periodically for advice and reassurance.  You must give it at least six months or more before deciding on the results of the surgery and if anything more needs to be done.

RELAX!!!

Dr Jacobs