Breast cancer is more than a diagnosis — it’s a journey that profoundly reshapes bodies, identities, and lives. And while the visible changes are well-known, there’s a hidden side to mastectomy that often goes unspoken: the lasting numbness that can follow.
Even after reconstruction, women can experience partial to complete chest numbness, creating a permanent barrier to feeling whole again. Nearly 80% of women report numbness, pain, or a combination of both following mastectomy.1 It’s important to understand why it happens.
Understanding the loss of sensation
Sensory nerves run throughout our bodies. They function like electrical wires, helping us to interact and experience the world around us. Nerves allow you to feel temperature, pressure, touch, and even pain — everything from a cozy blanket to the touch of a loved one — and they keep you safe by helping you feel if something is too hot or sharp and at risk of hurting you.
During mastectomy, nerves running through the breast are cut and removed with the breast tissue. Once cut, nerves can no longer send signals. No signals mean no sensation. Think of how it feels when your mouth is numbed at the dentist. Numbness in your chest may be similar.
The loss of sensation can be devasting in countless unexpected ways, especially since touch is such an important part of our everyday lives. Without intervention, this lack of feeling can be permanent, even after breast reconstruction.
A path to restoration: the solution of Resensation
Thankfully, you might not have to accept numbness as your new norm. Resensation is a surgical technique that reconnects nerves cut during a mastectomy. It can help women reclaim the sense of touch, restoring not only sensation but also the connection, comfort, and confidence that go along with it.
During breast reconstruction, a trained plastic surgeon reconnects nerves cut during a mastectomy with a nerve allograft. Over time, the nerves can regenerate and gradually restore sensation. Many patients notice the signs of sensation beginning to return within several months after surgery, with feeling continuing to improve for up to two years.2
Patients who have had Resensation often describe it as a renewal. For Jessica D., a nurse and breast cancer survivor who chose to undergo the Resensation procedure, this return of feeling became central to moving forward: “Getting back sensation made me feel whole again — like I could finally put cancer behind me. After the shock of a cancer diagnosis, patients are often overwhelmed by the decisions they need to make in a short time,” Jessica explained. “While survival is the immediate priority, long-term side effects, like loss of sensation, which get less attention, can be equally devastating.”
For women like Jessica, the journey to healing isn’t just physical; it’s about reclaiming a level of normalcy and feeling like yourself again.
Know your options
If you or someone you love is considering breast reconstruction after mastectomy, know that numbness doesn’t have to be the “new normal.” Options like Resensation can offer the possibility of regaining sensation, empowering women to move forward with a renewed connection to their bodies.
This information, including illustrations, is noncommercial, provided for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or substitute for professional medical advice. The level of sensation restored following use of the Resensation technique may vary and cannot be guaranteed, due to unique anatomy and other considerations. Please consult your surgeon for more detailed information.
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