How Can I Tell if a Nerve was Cut During a Breast Implant Revision? (photo)

Loss of nipple sensation is not unusual after breast augmentations and is a known side effect of the surgery. Most of the time the numbness is temporary and feeling returns in a few weeks or months. However, it can also be permanent. The loss of sensation occurs due to injury of the very small nerve that supplies the nipple. It is very difficult to tell if it was stretched or cut since both can result in the same symptoms.

Hello, The nerves that travel within the breast and supply the nipple/areola are very small and hard to differentiate from the surrounding fat/breast tissue. You may have numbness from stretching of the nerve or from cutting of the nerve but it would be essentially impossible to see the nerve via a lower breast fold incision and to allow its repair. At this point, with regards to he nerve issue, you are better to just massage and wait. There is a chance that it may come... more

Thank you for the question and pictures. Unfortunately, what you are experiencing is a known complication of breast augmentation surgery. Whether the nerve was “cut” cannot be known with any certainty; however, based on your description it has been temporarily or permanently effected by the surgery. At this point, there is not much to do in regards to the nipple numbness except allowing for ongoing healing to occur. Sometimes... more