4 days post-op, very bruised right nipple

[Elesha]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone who has had gynecomastia surgery ever had the complication of a very dark bruised nipple. My husband had the surgery 4 days ago and we noticed that the right nipple looks very dark and bluish black, the left nipple is absolutely fine, no colour change to it.  Is it possible that the blood supply was cut off to the nipple from the surgery?  We are scheduled to go see the doctor on Wednesday, but we are concerned. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[DrBermant]

Hello, I was wondering if anyone who has had gynecomastia surgery ever had the complication of a very dark bruised nipple. My husband had the surgery 4 days ago and we noticed that the right nipple looks very dark and bluish black, the left nipple is absolutely fine, no colour change to it.  Is it possible that the blood supply was cut off to the nipple from the surgery?  We are scheduled to go see the doctor on Wednesday, but we are concerned. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

How much Bruising and Swelling after gynecomastia Surgery depends on the problem to be treated, what was done and many other factors. Impaired blood supply can result in darker tissues as can a collection of blood like a Hematoma Complication After Gynecomastia Surgery, or just more bruising seen with certain techniques or other complications.

If one of my patient had such questions or concerns I would want them to call me immediately, not wait for a follow up appointment. Have you checked with your doctor for advice?

Hope this helps,

Michael Bermant, MD
Learn More About Gynecomastia and Male Breast Reduction

[Elesha]

No he hasn't contacted the doctor because he thought it might be normal and didn't want to start a panic. He said that many people have commented on how bad it looked post surgery...maybe that was a mistake???

I hope it's just our imaginations getting the better of us but we started thinking that it might be gangrenous. How would we know? There is a small area that is greyish...please see photo in attachment.

Thanks.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Relax -- what you have posted is not unusual.  Sometimes after surgery, blood can get into the ducts and find its way to the nipple itself -- which then becomes bruised.  This does not look dangerous to me at all -- but obviously best to have it checked by your surgeon.

Remember, we are dealing with breast tissue here -- with well formed ducts similar to a female breast.

Dr Jacobs

[Elesha]

Thank you Dr. Jacobs. He had his follow-up appointment today and the nurse told him that everything was completely normal.

[Elesha]

FYI