Nipple Reconstruction and 3D Nipple Tattooing
Oct 1, 2021Frank DellaCroce, MD, FACS and Scott Sullivan, MD, FACS, of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and 3D nipple tattoo artist Vinnie Myers explain the procedures that complete the mastectomy and breast reconstruction process: nipple reconstruction and 3D tattooing. Peggy tells the story of how both procedures transformed negative feelings about a past reconstruction into an improved body image.
Affiliations: St. Charles Surgical Hospital, Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, New Orleans, LA
Areas of specialization: plastic surgery, breast reconstruction, plastic and reconstructive microsurgery
Dr. Frank DellaCroce, or "Dr. D" as he has come to be known, is a founding partner of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and St. Charles Surgical Hospital in New Orleans. Board-certified in plastic surgery, Dr. D has performed thousands of reconstructive procedures,
both for women diagnosed with breast cancer and women at high risk of the disease who choose to have prophylactic breast removal. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, and the World Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery.
Vinnie Myers grew up in suburban Baltimore. He served 6 years as a medic in the U.S. Army. In 1991, he opened Little Vinnie’s Tattoos in Westminster, Maryland. Within a year, he moved from an obscure location to a store front on Main Street and took on several additional tattoo artists and apprentices. He then traveled the world to continue learning, practicing, and perfecting his tattoo work. In 2002, a plastic surgeon in Baltimore asked if Vinnie could try creating nipple tattoos for breast reconstruction patients. Since then, Vinnie has been immersed in the art of 3D nipple tattooing for women diagnosed with breast cancer. He now works with Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans, Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, PA, Capital Area Plastic Surgery in Saratoga Springs, NY, and Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction in Charleston, SC, with more locations to be added soon. Vinnie also enjoys creating fish illustrations, which takes him to fishing tournaments in Hawaii and other parts of the U.S. To see Vinnie’s work, visit www.vinniemyers.com.
Affiliations: St. Charles Surgical Hospital and the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery, New Orleans, LA
Areas of specialization: breast reconstruction, reconstructive microsurgery, plastic surgery, microsurgery
Dr. Sullivan is a founding partner of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery and the St. Charles Surgical Hospital, the only hospital in the world dedicated to breast reconstruction for women facing breast cancer. He is one of the most sought-after breast reconstructive
microsurgeons in the world. He has authored numerous publications, with particular emphasis on the newest methods of breast reconstruction.
— Last updated on May 31, 2022 at 2:23 PM
This content made possible in part through the generous support of the Center for Restorative Breast Surgery.