Nipple Removal in Mastectomy

Q. "Can I have a mastectomy without removing the nipple?"

A. Most surgeons recommend removal of the nipple because cancer cells can grow there. Although rarely done, it is possible to undergo a subcutaneous mastectomy, and save the nipple, if the cancer is not located near the nipple. A subcutaneous mastectomy is more likely than a total mastectomy to leave breast cells behind that could become cancerous. Neither the nipple nor the breast will have the same sensations after a mastectomy that they do before a mastectomy, because the nerves are cut.