Scar Tissue

[Slamberton1]

I just have a quick question because I'm naturally a worrier lol. I'm just wondering if scar tissue behind the nipple can pull the nipple down. Its not a crater because it doesn't look like anything ive seen regarding crater deformities on other posts. Its just when I tense my chest my nipple looks as if its attached to the chest muscle giving a deformed look so I thought I would see if there was a chance scar tissue was pulling it down and was stuck to the chest muscle giving it that deformed look so when the scar tissue disappears it'll look sort of normal again ?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Yes, this is possible.  Would not do anything about it though for at least 4-6 months while all the healing is occurring.  This is one place where some type of surgical intervention might be needed -- cortisone injections for scar tissue do not have a place in this circumstance.

Dr Jacobs

[Litlriki]

Depending on how soon after your surgery you are and how severe the scarring is, it's possible to get some improvement with massage by breaking up scar tissue from the superficial to deep tissue.  In other words, you want the skin to move in a supple manner over the muscle, but it sounds like the scar is stuck the whole way through down to the muscle.  If it's long after the surgery, and this has persisted, you might need to have revision surgery to address the problem.  

[Slamberton1]

Thank you both for your answers, I am only 3 weeks post surgery so I'll keep an eye on it for a few months and address the problem then if it persists.

[DrPensler]

Yes is the short answer. In some patients the healing from the surgery stimulates retraction.Interestingly this more often than not resolves , in cases which do not resolve sometimes a steroid injection helps while sometimes a small revision is useful.