Pain and Extreme Sensitivity 3 1/2 Years After Breast Augmentation?

This type of pain is unusual three years after breast augmentation and probably isn't related to your breast implants. The type of pain that you describe suggests inflammation or irritation of one of your sensory nerves. This can occur for a variety of reasons including surgical injury, scar entrapment, neuroma formation and peripheral neuropathies.It's important that your symptoms be thoroughly investigated to rule out more serious problems. For instance, it would be appropriate to obtain a mammogram to rule out breast cancer. There's a good chance that these evaluations will be negative, and no cause for your symptoms will be identified. Under these circumstances, implant removal may be an option, but there's no guarantee that this will be effective.For this reason, it's appropriate to consult a pain management specialist. This physician should be able to develop a treatment plan that helps minimize your pain and discomfort. This plan may include massage, sensory re-education, nerve blocks and pharmacologic management.

After a breast augmentation most sensory changes return to normal within 6 months. Occasionally however it may take up to 2 years to fully regain normal sensation. When pain and sensory changes extend past this expected recovery time other sources of pain, discomfort and sensory alteration should be explored. If present, underlying causes of neuropathies (functional peripheral nerve disturbances) such as diabetes mellitus need to be appropriately managed. Local conditions causing prolonged pain would include an entrapped nerve or the formation of a neuroma. Nerve entrapment or compression could be the result of a capsular contracture. Treatment in this situation may be a release or removal of the capsule. When nerves are injured it is possible to form a neuroma at the end of the cut nerve. A neuroma is a growth consisting of nerve fibers. If a neuroma is present pressure on or movement of the neuroma can result in pain along the distribution of the nerve. When conditions such as these are suspected it is best to proceed with conservative management for 6 months. This may include massage, desensitization, and sensory reeducation techniques. Specialists in pain management are able to direct this type of care. If conservative treatment fails surgical intervention may be necessary. Sometimes sometimes the offending nerve can be localized with a nerve block. The nerve block is placed in the vicinity of the suspected nerve. If pain is relieved immediately it is likely the targeted nerve is the source of the problem. Following localization of the suspected nerve a surgical approach can be considered. If you have pain or sensory alterations extending beyond the expected recovery time it is best to consult your plastic surgeon so that he or she can thoroughly evaluate you and help direct the appropriate care. Good luck.

Hello! Thank you for your question! Your symptoms sound like your
nerves regenerating. Breast procedures such as the
breast augmentation and breast lift/reduction certainly result in a more
shapely,
perky, and fuller appearance of your breasts. With any breast procedure
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% for lift/reductions and much
smaller for breast augmentation. 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. It can take up to a year for full sensation to
return. Re-educating your nerves to these areas by using different
textures when showering and putting on lotion often helps.  You are very remote from your procedure - you should discuss this with your surgeon and/or primary care.  Consideration for downsizing or explantation should be discussed if the pain is that significant.It is one risk of such a procedure, and
one that you must consider, amongst others, as with any surgical
procedure. You should consult with a plastic surgeon well-trained in
breast procedures who will examine and discuss with you the various
risks and benefits of the procedure(s) and assist you in deciding if
such a procedure will be the right decision for you.