I Cannot Feel my Right Nipple After Surgery. Will It Affect Breast Feeding in Future?

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.  Your ability to breastfeed should not have changed.  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.

Loss of nipple sensation can happen and is a risk associated with any type of breast augmentation. You may have temporary change in sensation that can last a few weeks or months. Permanent sensation loss is very rare. A numb nipple can affect breast feeding, but it is very rare.

Sensation should improve over the next several months. If you had an inframammary incision breast feeding should still be possible in most patients. In general about 75% of women are able to breast feed and 50% of women with breast augmentation can. This data doesn’t really take into account women with implants that hadn’t breast fed first (ie was it possible and now isn’t) and incision location (more ducts are cut with a periareolar incision). For now I would give it time.

There is always a chance that a breast augmentation surgery can affect both your nipple sensation and breast feeding, but the risk is very low. At 5 days, it would be very difficult to know if you have a permanent problem or not. The vast majority of parasthesias (changes in sensation) normalize with just time. If you don't have sensation returning after 3-4 months, then you might have a permanent problem with sensation returning. This could affect breast feeding, but it would be very rare.

Hi Xola,

I don't know what type of surgery you had done so its a little hard to say. A photo could help as well. That said, nipple numbness after breast surgery can occur, especially with only 5 days post op. Sensitivity will most likely return once the swelling goes down and it shouldn't effect breast feeding.

You should still contact your plastic surgeon and let him know about the numbness.