What percent of breast augmentation clients lose nipple sensitivity with transaxillary moderate implants?

The risks of losing routine breast sensation during breast surgery are usually very small.  In expert hands which would perform the procedure with gentle handling of the breast tissue, loss of sensation incidence is about 1%.  The incidence increases with larger implants as this can stretch the nerves that are on the side of the breasts.  It is a misconception that the periareolar approach has a higher chance of decreasing nipple sensation.  If the dissection plane avoids violating the breast tissue then the chance of decreasing sensation is extremely rare.  I have performed this technique thousands of times and have had only a couple patients describe decreased sensation in their areolas or nipples after a few months.

Less than 5% of patients lose nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation.  Some of the risk depends upon surgical technique.

Hi Mzsly,We have done many thousands of axillary (armpit) BA.  The numbness rate is 3% in our hands.  So a 97% chance you will be OK in this area.  Give it a few weeks postop before you start to be concerned.  I maybe have only seen numbness on both sides once or twice.  See my video and web link below to a published article.The Aesthetic Surgery Journal published an
article several years ago proving that the armpit
incision has less bacteria than the breast fold incision or the nipple incision.  This paper, published on April 26, 2011 by Dr.
Sophie Bartsich, is from the prestigious New York Presbyterian Hospital and
Columbia University Medical Center and is titled “The Breast: A Clean-Contaminated
Surgical Site”.  The investigators proved
scientifically that the nipple region demonstrated a bacteria concentration
which was five times higher than the breast fold site which demonstrated a
concentration four times higher than the
armpit (axillary) area!  Much has
been published in our plastic surgery journals on the armpit breast
augmentation in recent years. Another study which is in the link below from the
Aesthetic Surgery Journal showed a lower infection rate than normal in 2,000
patients undergoing an armpit (axillary) breast augmentation.  These Plastic Surgery Journals are
“peer-reviewed” and edited, they are the gold-standard in our field as being
valid science.  You may review the web
reference below from the Aesthetic Surgery Journal and you will see the
axillary BA method outlined.  The website below also has videos showing
patients with axillary incisions demonstrating the quick recovery routine
postoperatively. All the best, Dr. Joe

 

 

In my opinion, it seems that the sensory changes may be more related to size of implant than actual approach to place them.  The risk of decreased sensation is less than 5% in most of the literature that I have read.

Studies have shown that loss of nipple sensation is more related to implant size rather than incision location. Many surgeons feel the transaxillary approach has a higher rate of implant malposition and capsular contracture, however.

The studies have shown that 15% of patients have transitory temporary loss of sensation over various portions of the breast.  The risk of loss of nipple sensation that is permanent is about 5%.  Implants placed under the muscle carry less risk and very large implants carry a higher risk.