Numbness on my Right Breast After 3 Months?

Partial sensation loss is seen occasionally after breast surgery. This is due to sensory nerve injury that normally occurs during surgery. It takes time for nerve injury to heal. You can expect nerves to improve for up toma year after surgery. The discomfort you feel in the shower is also from the nerve which has become hypersensitive. That is good news, meaning the sensation is more likely to return early.

   Numbness 3 months after breast augmentation does tend to improve over the course of a year and perhaps even 2 years.  For most patients, this is temporary, but there exists a small percentage of patients who may have permanent numbness.  Kenneth Hughes, MD breast implants Los Angeles, CA

Thank you for your post. In general, most women who have a disturbance in nipple sensation, whether it be less (hypo-sensation), or in some cases too much (hyper-sensation), the sensation goes back to normal with 3-6 months. Occasionally, it can take 1 - 2 years to be normal. Extremely rare, the sensation never goes back to normal. This is extremely rare in augmentation alone, more common in lift or reduction but less with a smaller lift like a crescent lift. Signs that sensation is coming back are needle type sensation at the nipple, itchiness at the nipple, or 'zingers' to the nipple. The number of women that lose sensation is much lower than 10%, closer to 1% in a simple augmentation. In some cases the same occurs with contraction where some women have no contraction and some women have a constant contraction of the nipples. Unfortunately there is no surgical correction for this. Massaging the area can help sensation normalize faster if it is going to normalize, but will not help if the nerve does not recover. In women with hyper-sensitive nipples, this will go away with time in most cases. Usually 3 months or so. In the interim, I have them wear nipple covers or 'pasties' to protect them from rubbing. It is unlikely that down-sizing the implant will cause regaining sensation. Down-sizing the implant may cause saggy breasts, however, and may necessitate a breast lift. Physical therapy with de-sensitivity techniques can help with this issue. The Peri-areolar incision is associated with increased risk of nipple numbness due to the fact that the nerve is in close proximity.Best Wishes,Pablo Prichard, MD