craters post-surgery false alerts

[flatness13]

I know that healing takes a lot of time post-surgery, early on people think they still have breasts. Or one or two nipples are still puffy and so on. But I don't think I've seen people complain about craters early on. After about 5 to 6 days post surgery(I'm now almost 2 weeks further) it appears that I got some dents under my nipples when I flex, but could it be the swelling on the flexed muscles giving it the illusion of craters/dents?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

As you have heard many times before, there are a great many changes that occur in the days, weeks and months after surgery.  Differential swelling is one of those changes.  It can cause a lot of unnecessary worry for you.

Realize that after surgery, absent a seroma or hematoma or infection, there is really nothing that a surgeon can do for many months -- while the tissues are evolving.

Therefore, be patient and consult your surgeon periodically for any questions.

Dr Jacobs

[flatness13]

As you have heard many times before, there are a great many changes that occur in the days, weeks and months after surgery.  Differential swelling is one of those changes.  It can cause a lot of unnecessary worry for you.

Dr Jacobs

Yes lol sorry doc I anticipated this long before surgery and it's still getting to me. So have you experienced patients like me who talked of craters/dents early on and then the complaints went away as everything changed as more time progressed?

[winter]

My left nipple was creased right down the middle for the first month (kinda like cratering), I was freaking out thinking this was permanent. But once the tissue firmed up and the scarring went down, it completely disappeared!
4 months down the track, things are still changing.

[flatness13]

^Thanks that's encouraging. You know what I think it may also have to do with the small bandages that are still on my nipples and stitches. Tommorow I'm getting all of it removed so it'll be interesting to see if that changes anything right away. Will update on that later.