How Long Can It Take for Nipple Sensation to Come Back After Breast Augmentation

It can take up to one year for nipple sensation to return after a breast augmentation, but usually it returns sooner-in months. The chance of permanently losing nipple sensation is between 10-15%. It is very common however to have some numbness immediately after surgery due to inflammation and stretching of the nerves.

Best wishes,

Dr.Bruno

Thank you for your question. This will be different for everyone. Usually, you can expect sensation to come back about 6-12 months. Permanently losing sensation in the nipple is a low percentage. Best of luck!Dhaval M. Patel Double board certifiedPlastic surgeonHoffman EstatesBarringtonOakbrookChicago

Loss of sensation in the nipple/areola is fortunately an uncommon occurrence.In my experience, permanent loss of of sensation may be due to stretching of the sensory nerves by using very large implants causing a stretch injury or pressure on the nerves, extent of dissection which can damage the nerves, and the size of implant. I find that the location of the incision is not usually the reason for loss of sensation.Choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon is important when considering surgery, as it will lower your chances of complications.

Although breast augmentation is a relatively safe operative
procedure, occasionally complications can occur.Loss of sensation is a recognized
complication of breast augmentation and can occur in about 5% of patients.Loss of sensation may involve the breast skin
or, in more serious cases, the actual nipple areola complexes.In the vast majority of cases, it’s a
transient phenomenon that resolves with time but, in some cases, it may be
permanent.In most cases, sensation
returns in 3 to 6 months but, in rare cases, may take up to a year to return.The
problem seems to occur more frequently when larger implants are used.This tends to stretch nerves and compress them
as well, resulting in loss of sensation.It’s important that you discuss this issue thoroughly with your plastic
surgeon before proceeding with breast augmentation.Although relatively rare, there’s no question
that loss of nipple areola sensation can potentially occur with this procedure.

Hello! Thank you for your question! Breast procedures such as the
breast lift and breast reduction certainly result in a more shapely,
perky, and fuller appearance of your breasts along with raising of the
nipple-areolar complex to an appropriate position. Since there is an
incision made around the areola along with some rearrangement of tissue
of the breast, there is a risk, albeit very small, of change in
sensation to the area. The reported rate of sensation changes
(decreased, loss, or increased) is ~7%. In my experience, this rate is
reportedly much lower, but is higher when tissue is excised or the
amount of lift that is needed, so the breast reduction procedure has a
slightly greater risk. The risk is lower in breast augmentation, but still present.   It can take up to a year for sensation to
return. It may take up to a year to regain sensation. After that time,
chances are small that it will improve.  Best wishes!

It is very common for patients to experience some sort of change in nipple sensation following breast augmentation.  In fact, 15% of patients experience a decrease in nipple sensation, increase in nipple sensation, or complete loss of sensation following breast surgery.

Most instances of loss of nipple sensation following breast augmentation are temporary and nipple sensation usually returns within six to twelve months.  Changes in sensation are more common in patients who underwent relatively large augmentation relative to their body size.

Jaime Perez, M.D.

Breast Augmentation Specialist in Tampa, FL

Plastic Surgery Center of Tampa, FL

The average duration of numbness is 78 days.  We did an outcome study asking patients who had nipple numbness after breast augmentation this very question.  Only 2.3% of breast augmentation had persistent numbness in one or both nipples that did not fully resolve.  In the vast majority of patients, the nipple sensation returns.  Keep in mind there is variation between surgeons depending on their technique in performing the surgery and in your own nerve anatomy.

Nipple sensation may be affected after augmentation. Some patients have perfectly normal or minimally affected sensation after surgery if the nerves are affected by the surgery. Most patients have some stretching of the nerves but the sensation should return usually within 6 weeks to 2 months.The nipple sensation may come back with a sharp sting or an electric shock sensation. In case if the smaller nerves are inadvertently transected during surgery, it may grow back within 6 to 12 months. . If there is complete numbness more than 12 months, then there is a possibility of permanent sensation loss. This is usually very uncommon and rare.

Numbness is caused by the effect surgery has on the nerves, as well as the presence of the implant. Precise surgical techniques that cause less trauma to the breast will decrease the rate of numbness. However, it is generally temporary and full sensation should return in 6 months to a year. If you’ve a had a particularly difficult recovery, this could be longer.

Thank
you for the question. It usually takes about 8-12
weeks for the wounds to heal and around 4-6 months for the implants to fully
settle.  Nipple sensation usually comes back 4-6 months after surgery. It would be best to visit your
board-certified plastic surgeon and get a full assessment for your concerns. Best of luck. Dr. Michael Omidi.









An
in-person exam with a board-certified plastic surgeon is the best way to assess
your needs and provide true medical advice.