Philadelphia — For women undergoing breast reconstruction, professional tattoo artists can achieve “aesthetically superior” results by creating realistic three-dimensional tattoos of the nipple and surrounding areola, according to a report in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery®, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
ASPS Member Surgeon Dr. Eric G. Halvorson of Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues report their experience with three-dimensional tattoos of the nipple-areola complex (NAC) created by professional tattoo artists to complete breast reconstruction after mastectomy.
They write, “The application of ‘3D’ techniques or ‘realism’ in tattoo artistry has significant potential to improve the aesthetic outcomes of reconstructive surgery.”
Three-Dimensional Tattoos Provide Alternative to Nipple Reconstruction
Nipple-areola complex tattoos have long been used as part of breast reconstruction in some situations—for example, in women who have undergone radiation therapy or those who don’t want another surgical procedure to reconstruct the nipple.
Traditionally, plastic surgeons have performed NAC tattoos themselves using very basic techniques: lighter ink for the areola surrounding a circle of darker ink for the nipple.
But in recent years, Dr. Halvorson and coauthors have recognized that professional tattoo artists can achieve superior results.
(Read the full story here: http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/tattoo-artists-play-new-role-in-breast-reconstruction.html)