AboutAlan M. Engler, MD, FACS Expertise Dr. Engler has answered over 2700 plastic surgery questions for Allexperts. His expertise is in cosmetic plastic surgery including breast surgery (breast enlargement with implants, breast reduction, breast lifts), liposuction, eyelid surgery, tummy tucks, facelifts etc.
Dr. Engler has been listed as one New York`s Top Doctors, and as "One of the World's Most Famous Aesthetic Surgeons" (Aesthetic Surgery, TASCHEN Books, Angelika Taschen, Editor). He is the author of 4 books, including "BodySculpture" (a best-selling plastic surgery book on breast surgery, liposuction and tummy tucks), "EyeScapes" (Plastic Surgery of the Eyelids), "Restylane," and "The Slim Book of Liposuction."
Dr. Engler has two US Patents for surgical instruments that he's designed, and has appeared on numerous television shows, including The Tyra Banks Show, The Ricki Lake Show (four times), and the Dr. Keith Ablow Show. Videos of his appearances are available on YouTube (SEARCH FOR "DR. ENGLER"). His website is www.bodysculpture.com.
Experience Dr. Alan Engler is a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York and the author of BodySculpture - Plastic Surgery of the Body for Men and Women (ISBN 0966382749) one of the top-selling plastic surgery books on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, etc.
Education/Credentials Dr. Engler graduated from Yale University (undergraduate) and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University (medical school). He did his residency training in General Surgery and, after that, Plastic Surgery, at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. He is on the faculty of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.
I underwent an augmentation 3/20/09. The Dr. told me after surgery that he had to move the incision closer to my armpit during surgery to help conceal the scar. I knew that move could increase the chance of severing the undetectable nerve to my nipple. Since the surgery I still have not regained feeling in my nipples. I mentioned this to my Dr. and he said it could take up to two years to regain sensation. I wanted a second opinion on this issue. Can you tell me, in your experience, what the average time window is for regaining feeling in the nipple region? Is there anything I can do such as massage or holistic measures to regain the lost feeling? Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer my question.
Answer from Dr. Alan Engler
www.bodysculpture.com
Hi Andrea,
Obviously, I'm sorry about the sensory issues regarding your nipples. It is certainly possible, though fortunately rare, to have sensory problems following breast implant surgery. Most of the time, the problems are temporary, and I would agree that it can take up to two years for whatever diminished sensation there is to improve. So waiting it out is an acceptable approach, and is usually adequate.
That being said, I don't know of anything that can be done to speed up this process. Holistic measures, ultrasound, massage, etc. - I really can't advise anything in this realm. Again, I'm sorry that I can't, but I don't know of anything.
Finally, you indicated that the sensory problems are due to the location of the axillary incision. I'm not sure that that's accurate. The axillary incision is associated with specific areas of sensory loss, but they deal with the inner arm, since that's where those nerve the supplies that part of the body comes out.
The nipple is innervated by several different nerves; most prominently the lateral cutaneous branch of the fourth intercostal nerve. In fact, there are several nerves that supply the nipple (studies anesthetizing just that nerve failed to render the nipple anesthetic = numb).
So - the diminished sensation you have is probably due more to the implants themselves than to the axillary incision. That doesn't help in terms of what to do about it, but it may take some of the focus off the specific location of the incision.
