Hello Iowa1~
The answer to your question isn't clear cut. Whether or not breast
augmentation/breast lift will affect your sensitivity can't be
predicted with certainty. Here are the facts:
BREAST AUGMENTATION:
A commonly listed side effect for breast enhancement is ?loss in
sensitivity: usually disappears after several weeks, but for some this
is permanent.? (?Breast Augmentation,? Plastic Surgery Munich:
http://www.cosmetic-aesthetic.com/breastaugmentation.htm ) ?Nipple and
breast sensation can be altered with breast implants. These
alterations can affect sexual response and one?s ability to nurse a
baby. Post surgery nipple sensation can range anywhere from extreme
sensitivity to numbness.? (?Breast Augmentation,? Plastic Surgery:
http://www.plasticsurgery.com/breast_augmentation/12/default.htm )
Most breast augmentation FAQ websites and brochures admit: ?Feeling in
the nipple and breast can increase or decrease after implant surgery.
The range of change varies from intense sensitivity to no feeling in
the nipple or breast following surgery. Changes in feeling can be
temporary or permanent and may affect sexual response...? (?Will
Feeling in My Breast or Nipple Change?? Mentor:
http://www.mentorcorp.com/breastsurgery/augmentation/FAQ/cs_ba_aa_faq_13.htm
)
For one example, see this breast implant study, which shows out of 30
people, 18 people remained sensitive and 11 became not sensitive:
http://www.breastimplants4you.com/sensitivitystudy.htm ("Sensitivity
Study," Breast Implants)
In an online poll, 312 respondents answered questions about their
breast augmentation. Over 28 percent said they ?lost a great deal of
sensation? in their breasts, over 27 percent said they had more breast
sensitivity, over 22 percent said there was no change, and over 22
percent said they lost ?a little bit? of sensitivity. (?Past Breast
Augmentation and Breast Implants Poll Results? Implant Info:
http://www.implantinfo.com/pollcenter/pastresults.htm )
Other studies show similar results; there's a fairly even distribution
of women who loose sensitivity, those who remain the same, and those
who gain sensitivity.
There is some evidence that incisions made under the armpit may lesson
the risk of loosing sensitivity. Periareolar incisions (made around
the areola) have a higher risk of making patients loose breast
sensitivity, as do incisions in the fold under the breast. (?Breast
Surgery,? http://www.drbernier.com/_seins.htm ) Augmentations through
the navel seem to be the least likely to reduce nipple sensitivity.
As one surgeon puts it: ?Yes, most women do not lose the sense of
touch of the nipples. Several factors have an influence on their
chance of losing sensitivity: the larger the implant, the more likely
is loss of sensitivity. The location of the incision is another
important factor: the primary medical journal report on the TUBA
showed that the incision in the navel resulted in 0.8% chance losing
all nipple sensitivity, whereas the other methods resulted in 3.0%
chance of losing all nipple sensitivity. Therefore, there is only a
very small chance of losing the sense of touch in the nipples. On
average, one percent lose the sense of touch completely. About 50% of
women notice a change in sensitivity (either increased or decreased),
which may require two years to return to normal.? (?FAQ? Richard V.
Dowden, M.D., C.M., F.A.C.S.: http://dr-dowden.com/faqs/tubanipp.html
)
Another issue that you should be aware of is the controversy about
breast implants and mammograms. ?It is uncertain...whether implants
can interfere with the detection of breast cancer and delay diagnosis,
possibly compromising treatment and long-term survival.? (?Breast
Augmentation Unlikely to Affect Cancer Identification,? American
Family Physician: http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040601/tips/13.html )
However, a recent study, which compared women with breast cancer who?d
had augmentation with women who had not, found that the number of
women with cancer who tested positive was ?lower in women with
augmentation...Breast augmentation decreases the sensitivity of
screening mammography in asymptomatic women but does not increase the
false-positive rate.?
BREAST LIFT:
The information about breast sensitivity is much the same for breast
lifts. One of the commonly listed side affects is ?Permanent loss of
feeling in nipples or breast.? (?Procedures at a Glance,? American
Society of Plastic Surgeons:
http://www.plasticsurgery.org/public_education/procedures/CosmeticPlasticSurgery.cfm#3
) ?Most breast lifts involve surgical detachment and repositioning of
the nipple and areola, meaning that many breast lift patients have
temporary or permanent reduction of sensitivity in those areas.?
(?Breast Lift,? A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource:
http://www.aboardcertifiedplasticsurgeonresource.com/breast_lift/ )
One doctor comments: ?It is difficult to answer ?how much? sensitivity
you can expect to lose in your nipples after breast lift (mastopexy)
surgery. My personal experience has been that most patients retain
complete or near complete sensation. In the initial postoperative
period there may be temporary loss or decrease in sensation due to
swelling. As swelling subsides the sensation will return. However,
there is a possibility that you may experience a change in the
sensitivity of your nipples and the skin of your breast. In fact,
permanent loss of nipple sensation can occur after a mastopexy in one
or both nipples. Occasionally a patient will report that her nipples
are ?supersensitive.? In this case desensitization, exercises can be
preformed (gently rubbing the nipples with cotton ball and then
progressing to a more course material) to diminish the sensitivity.
You can generally expect that your nipples will get as erect after
surgery as they were before.? (?Ask Our Experts,? Talk Surgery:
http://canoe.talksurgery.com/consumer/articles/bruck_0001.html )
Statistically, the chance of a change in sensitivity is about the same
as it is with breast augmentation.
I hope this more than adequately answers your question, but if any
part of this Answer is unclear, please don?t hesitate to request a
clarification before you rate it.
Kind regards,
Kriswrite
MOST USEFUL KEYWORDS:
"breast augmentation" sensitivity
"breast augmentation" sensitivity percent
"breast lift" sensitivity
"breast lift" sensitivity percent |
