Bilateral reconstruction of the male nipple.

Abstract

The opportunity to reconstruct the male nipple rarely presents itself. The loss of the nipple due to trauma or surgery is itself rare. Most patients consider its loss a minor problem and the nipple not worth reconstructing. The only description of a male nipple reconstruction in the literature is that of a unilateral reconstruction using a split-thickness graft from the opposite side with a suboptimal result. In this report, I detail the reconstruction of bilateral male nipples in the survivor of a severe burn. The final result is a culmination of three successive procedures performed to improve each previous result. The result of each procedure is critically analyzed, with an excellent final result. We conclude that the best male nipple reconstruction is that in which the areola and papilla are given independent attention during reconstruction. We recommend a single, safe, procedure that fulfills this requirement and can be performed under local anesthesia.