The human case for preserving the nipple after mastectomy
You can live without a nipple, but what if you don’t have to?
Historically, this specialized region of the breast—known as the nipple-areolar complex—was one of the most vital aspects of human anatomy, providing not only nutrition but also immunologic safety for the infant via breastfeeding. The nipple deserves our respect; without it, human society would not exist.
While there are ample supplemental options today that allow people to …
