Breast Augmentation: Cost, Reviews, Photos

Breast augmentation is a surgical procedure and the patient can expect some discomfort but not severe pain.

Support and rest can diminish the pain and use of Exparel can also help. (Frank J. Ferraro, MD, Paramus Plastic Surgeon)

You may feel some discomfort and pain after breast augmentation, but this is generally well controlled by pain medications.

Most patients experience a moderate degree of discomfort for up to 7-14 days, however this can be longer depending on your physiology, which appears to be the case for you.

Please ask your surgeon for medication to help your recovery after breast augmentation. (Jerome Edelstein, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Tender Nipples After Breast Aug

Often times with abrupt changes to the breast size with implants, the nerve to the nipple gets stretched and irritated. Uncomfortable sensation is better than no sensation indicating that the nerve is still in tact. This usually setlles down within days to a few weeks. Anti inflammatory such as Advil may help the burning pain. (Marshall T. Partington, MD, FACS, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Sensitive nipples after breast implants

It is very common for nipples to become hypersensitive after a breast augmentation. This is most likely from stretching the nerves. This should be significantly better at 6-8 weeks. Meanwhile, it is advisable to avoid direct water stream in the shower and wear silicone pads, like dimrs, over the nipples and inside a bra-lette to prevent nipples from rubbing against clothing.

Gentle wash with fingertips rather than washcloth and as minimal manipulation or touching as possible is recommended until the hypersensitivity dissipates. You may also experience sharp, shooting pains on your breasts and nipples – we call these “zings” and it is just the nerves reconnecting and will also dissipate with time. (Alan N. Larsen, MD, )

Changes in nipple sensation after breast augmentation

Changes in sensitivity of the nipple and surrounding breast skin are extremely common following breast augmentation. These changes generally result from trauma to the small nerves going to these areas during placement of the implants. The good news is that these changes very rarely last long-term. (Earl E. Ferguson III, MD, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

Nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation surgery.

Hypersensitivity of the nipple-areola after breast implantation is normal and not experienced by everyone. It’s usually due to the swelling and pressure around the nipple and once the swelling subsides and the pressure is off the nerve the sensitivity is gone. This usually takes 2-6 months but can take up to a few months depending on the amount of swelling after breast augmentation. (Alfred Sofer, MD, FACS, Fairfield Plastic Surgeon)

Hypersensitivity after breast augmentation can occur. It usually last for months after the operation, and there is no specific way to treat it. However, the good news is that it means that the nerves are intact, and it usually resolves on its own. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

Placing an implant into the breast streches the nerve that gives you nipple sensation. Nerves do not like to be streched (think of hittining your funny bone.) Since the nerve that runs to your nipple is streched, your brain map senses it as a pain initiated in your nipple. Fortunately this will go away. (Stephan Finical, MD, Charlotte Plastic Surgeon)

All the symptoms you are mentioning are very normal you will feel this way for a couple of months it varies with each patient. It is the normal process of recovery, there is not so much what you can do to stop it but you can do things to not make it worse such as carrying heavy objects yet or to much movement with your arms, no exercise yet, no sleeping on your breasts yet sleep facing up, and remember to wear your compression bra day and night for 6 weeks. (Luis Suarez, MD, Mexico Plastic Surgeon)

Rarely after breast implants the nerves can get irritated and cause the symptoms you are describing – we call the condition dysesthesia or hyperesthesia.

Ice packs to the lateral part of your breasts may help – 15 minutes on, 20 minutes off. Be sure NOT to place the ice directly against your skin (wrap it in a towel or use prefabricated ice packs with the cloth side against your skin).

The condition can take weeks to months to resolve. If in a few weeks you are not better ask your doctor about starting a medication to calm the nerves down (Neurontin or Lyrica). (Grant Stevens, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Not uncommonly, women experience very sensitive or possibly even painful nipple sensations following breast implants.

Unfortunately, these feelings may last for a few weeks to a few months postoperatively. They will normally subside over time. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to ease the condition. (John J. Edney, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Changes in sensation after breast implant surgery

It’s very common to experience changes in sensation following breast implants. It can vary from complete numbness to hypersensitivity. It can come out of nowhere like a small shock or manifest as itching or burning. It’s all related to both trauma to the nerves and return of sensation to injured nerves. It’s very unusual for any of these strange sensations to last more than a few weeks to months. (Richard L. Zeff, MD, Portsmouth Plastic Surgeon)

Hypersensitivity after breast implants

The increased sensitivity you are describing is called dyesthesia. The nerves have been stretched and are reacting to such.

Desensitization helps – while in the shower take first a washcloth to the nipple area then when you tolerate that use a luffa sponge – this will “settle the nerves down” I realize that may not be particularly scientific but it works. (Michael B. Tantillo, MD, Boston Plastic Surgeon)

Sore nipples after breast implants

what you are experiencing is quite normal, The nerves to that area are commonly irritated and stretched during the surgery and that is how they respond. In time, it all goes away.

Usually by 6 weeks your nerves begin to get back to normal but you can still have occasional twinges when you start getting back to your full level of activity due to the pulling on the nerves once again. Just have to give it some more time is all. (Julio Garcia, MD, Las Vegas Plastic Surgeon)

Breast implants Recovery and Healing

Your experience of dysesthesias or burning pain is something that is associated in the first few weeks after surgery but not by all patients. If it is more exquisite as you have described, I would recommend massage and desensitizing your nipple areolar region with using a cream or just massage technique that is light. You can do this yourself.

I also recommend narcotics in the short term. Most patients use Vicodin or Percocet and it is quite common to be taken in the evening. The most likely reason is that the implant is stretching the nerve that is associated with your nipple sensation.

There is not simply one single nerve that goes to that area. The volume enhancement effect of the implant can cause this stretched nerve to give you an unpleasant feeling.

This usually gets better. If it persists beyond the first few weeks after surgery, some patients respond to neurotransmitter blocking agents like Neurontin or Lyrica. You may have seen these advertised on television.

They are associated with alteration in how your central nervous system interprets the stretch experience of the nerve from the implant or surgery.

Most of these nerve pain syndromes get better on their own, but I always encourage my patients to move their implants and do desensitizing massage with one minute 4 times a day massage to the area that is most sensitive.

This helps turn down the hypersensitive area in your nervous system by actually stimulating the nerve. You should discuss this with your surgeon. (Paul Vanek, MD, Cleveland Plastic Surgeon)

Nipple pain and discomfort after breast augmentation

3 weeks after surgery you are still healing and there are changes going on within the surgical area. What you are describing is a hypersensitive nerve sensation after the nerve has been bruised or stretched during the surgery. In most situations this sensation will improve and go away.

In a very small proportion of patients it may not and specific medication for nerve pain may be tried to relieve the discomfort. In the mean time you may try applying icepack for short periods of time (so that you don’t give yourself frostbite) to numb the nerve discomfort. (Martin Jugenburg, MD, Toronto Plastic Surgeon)

Nipple and breast sensation changes after breast augmentation

It is entirely normal to have nipple and breast sensation changes. Initially, the nerves “go to sleep” with reduced sensation, then they wake up and are often hypersensitive.

This may take up to a year to calm down. Sometimes, there is permanent partial or complete loss of sensation, but this is unusual. (Mark D. Epstein, MD, Stony Brook Plastic Surgeon)

Nipple sensitivity after breast augmentation generally improves

Nipple sensitivity can be effected positively or negatively after breast augmentation. For some, the nipples gain projection after augmentation and the rubbing on clothing or the bra increases sensitivity. It sounds like yours is simple dysethesia early after surgery and I would expect it to improve. (York Jay Yates, MD, Salt Lake City Plastic Surgeon)

Nipple sensitivity is usually a temporary phenomena

During breast surgery, the nerves to the skin, including the nipple are stretched and sometimes cut during the dissection. They exit from beneath the ribs cross through the breast tissue. Usually, the hypersensitivity and pain resolves within 2-3 weeks. I have my patient’s keep some ointment and a Band-Aid over the nipple so that their bra does not rub against it. (Joseph M. Perlman, MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Pain after Breast augmentation is very common

The type of discomfort you are experiencing 3 weeks after your breast augmentation is very common. It usually presents between two-to 4 weeks after surgery and it will usually last about 6 weeks or so.

It is unusual for patients to continue to complain about this type of hypersensitivity and 3 months after surgery. As one of the panelist as mentioned, this is due to stretching of the nerves to either the skin of the breast or, more commonly, the nipple.

The nerve responds to the stretching, which is a form of injury with hypersensitivity. While it is self-limited problem, that is it will resolve, in most cases, on its own; you can perform gentle massage of the area in order to essentially desensitize the skin and this may decrease the amount of time it takes for this to resolve. (Ralph R. Garramone, MD, Fort Myers Plastic Surgeon)

Swelling and Pain in the nipple is normal in the early weeks after augmentation.

Changes in sensation and swelling are quite normal after augmentation. Not uncommonly, women will develop hypersensitivity after implants for the first few weeks. Although uncomfortable, it is a good sign that normal sensation will be present down the road. If a periareolar incision was used, the swelling should resolve very soon as the incision heals.

Gentle massage of the nipple with moisturizing creams is very effective in eliminating both the swelling and nipple pain after breast augmentation. This should be done at least twice a day for approximately 1-2 minutes. You can do this at the same time you do your implant massage exercises, as your doctor should have recommended. (David A. Dreyfuss, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)