Dr. Robert Whitfield explains why fat transfer for breast augmentation is less likely to damage nipple sensation than implants. Large implants stretch superficial nerves when placed in a tight skin envelope, and he often finds nerve fibers trapped in the implant capsule during removal. Fat grafting avoids this rapid expansion, making it safer for sensation.
This seems like a safer alternative for women who want breast enhancement, but does it affect sensation? Because I know women with breast implants who've lost sensation or they lost sensation in their nipples after they have them taken out. So, if you do a fat transfer, are you going to have sensation problems?
It should not create a sensation issue because think of like the nerve supply There's nerves that terminate around the nipple complex in the superficial layer of the epidermis, epidermis and dermis. The 12th nerve comes in from the side. So when you place a device and rapidly expand and stretch it, you affect those nerves, particularly the 12th nerve. That is a common problem in patients who had large implants placed, very, very tight skin envelope, meaning they maybe they haven't had kids, which is typical, and the rapid expansion creates too much stretch on those, and that causes causes the, you know, what you've described, an absence of sensation or loss of sensation. And when I do their explant, I will find that nerve terminating into the capsule of the implant many times.
