Question for docs

[meswc]

I have read a lot about how so many different factors can cause change or loss in nipple sensation and I have read that the nipples are usually the last to get sensation back. 

What I haven't been able to find on this forum is what I'm about to ask.

I am 5 weeks post op and from the day I took the foam pads off I noticed my nipples reacted to cold and stimulation (ie they get hard as they did before surgery).  Even though I can't feel it, my nipples seem to understand when there is stimulation and changes in temperature.  I'm wondering if this is a good sign for sensation to return or if it even matters.

I do have sensation just below the surface of my nipple's skin however and I've noticed every day that more sensation returns around my chest.

I haven't noticed any of the tingling or itching that many on this forum have spoken about, but I know 5 weeks is still really early.  Just figured I'd ask.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Return of skin and nipple sensation is very capricious and unpredictable.  It depends on the extent of the original surgery, your surgeon's skills and also on how your body heals.  It is not unusual for one side to be ahead of the other side.  And, it takes several months or more for most, if not all, of the sensation to return.  There is nothing you can do to hasten the process -- so sit back and relax and allow Mother Nature to do her job!!

I have never had a patient lose all sensation -- permanently.

Dr Jacobs

[Dr. Schuster]

Sensation nerves can be different from temperature nerves. The temperature nerves cause the smooth muscle in the areola to contract. One does not have anything to do with the other.