Breast Resensation in Santa Barbara, CA
Restoring Breast Sensation After Mastectomy
A mastectomy is an important surgery for breast cancer patients that removes cancerous tissue. This life-saving surgery is critical to cancer care for women, but mastectomy can lead to loss of sensation in the breast. Many women report that this sensation loss interferes with their quality of life after breast cancer.
Resensation is an exciting option for restoring feeling and sensation to the breasts after mastectomy. Dr. Yegiyants has been trained in this delicate technique and is excited to bring her breast reconstruction patients a restoration of breast feeling and appearance. Dr. Yegiyants is the only surgeon in the Santa Barbara area to offer this restorative procedure.
Learn more about breast resensation in Santa Barbara, CA, by calling 805-682-1731 or contacting us online to schedule a consultation today.
Sensation Loss After Mastectomy: Understanding the Causes
The breasts are a powerhouse of sensation. They contain many nerves that act as communication channels, sending sensation signals from the breasts to the brain. During a mastectomy, all of the breast tissue in the breast is removed. Many nerves are cut while removing this tissue.
Cutting the nerves can disrupt the communication between the body and the brain, leaving the breasts with little to no sensation.
Losing sensation in the breasts is highly concerning for many breast cancer patients. Although reconstruction rebuilds their breast appearance, women report feeling disconnected from their breasts. Since they cannot feel the breasts, they do not feel like they are a part of their body. Resensation is the first treatment of its kind to restore breast sensation using nerve grafting technology. This treatment has the potential to give women feeling in their breasts again.
Schedule a Consultation
Ready to take the next steps towards booking a procedure? Schedule your consultation today to begin your aesthetic journey with Sara Yegiyants, MD, FACS.
How Resensation Restores Breast Sensation After Mastectomy
Resensation can reestablish breast sensation for many patients. During breast reconstruction, surgeons use a specialized technique to reconnect nerves in the skin to nerves in the chest wall during implant based reconstruction. By reconnecting these nerves, the body can rebuild communication channels, and in time, breast sensation may return.
Resensation uses allograft nerve tissue to bridge the gap and reconnect nerves in the reconstructed breasts. Nerves are tiny and delicate, so a surgeon must be skilled in advanced microsurgery techniques to perform this complex procedure. As a microsurgeon with extensive nerve repair and breast reconstruction training, Dr. Yegiyants is uniquely qualified to offer this procedure to women in the Santa Barbara area.
The Benefits of Breast Resensation in Santa Barbara, CA
- Increased Physical Safety – Nerves act as an essential warning system for the body, alerting it to potential harm and damage. Without breast sensation, women are more likely to experience serious injury. Restoring sensation means women may experience increased physical safety after their procedure.
- Increased Body Image – Many women feel disconnected from their breasts after mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. Resensation restores feeling to the breasts, increasing satisfaction for reconstruction results and helping women to feel more confident and comfortable in their appearance.
- Better Emotional Health – Breast cancer and its associated surgeries can take a heavy toll on mental health. We can rebuild the breast appearance through reconstruction, but many women find the loss of sensation to be frustrating. Many of our patients have reported positive mental health benefits after breast reconstruction with Resensation.
- Higher Quality of Life – When you look and feel your best, it increases quality of life. Resensation helps women to feel better about their bodies after breast cancer and enhances their outlook on life.
Want to Learn More about Santa Barbara Breast Resensation?
Dr. Sara Yegiyants is the only Santa Barbara plastic surgeon offering Resensation to restore breast sensation after mastectomy. She invites you to contact our office to learn more about how this life-changing procedure can help you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Resensation in Santa Barbara
Why Is Dr. Yegiyants the Only Breast Resensation Surgeon in Santa Barbara?
Resensation is an exciting innovation in breast reconstruction surgery, but this new technique is not yet widely available. Dr. Yegiyants decided to bring this treatment to her practice because she is dedicated to providing breast reconstruction patients with the best possible results. As a woman, she is acutely aware of how important breast sensation is to the function of the breasts. Resensation is a difficult procedure that uses advanced microsurgery techniques to reconnect nerves damaged in breast cancer surgery. Few surgeons have the qualifications to perform this delicate surgery. Currently, Dr. Yegiyants is the only surgeon in the Santa Barbara area offering Resensation.
Is Resensation Only Available at the Time of Reconstruction? Can I Receive Nerve Grafting Later?
Resensation is performed at the time of reconstruction surgery. Allograft nerve tissue connects severed nerves in the woman’s body with existing nerves of the chest wall. This procedure can only be performed on patients receiving implant based reconstruction, or autologous reconstruction with abdominal flaps.
What Is Allograft Nerve Tissue? Where Do You Obtain this Tissue?
Allograft nerve tissue is nerve tissue received from a donor. We work with reputable tissue supply companies to ensure our patients receive high quality and safe tissue grafts whenever donor tissue is used.
Is Resensation Covered by Insurance?
Insurance companies almost always cover breast reconstruction surgery after mastectomy. Resensation is a new procedure, so coverage can vary. We are experienced working with insurance companies to receive authorization for this procedure.
How Long Until My Breasts Regain Sensation After Resensation in Santa Barbara?
Nerves grow and regenerate slowly after breast neurotization. Women typically report feeling an increase in breast sensation several months after surgery. Feelings can continue to develop for up to two years after surgery.
Is Resensation Available After All Types of Breast Cancer?
Resensation isn’t a cancer treatment. It is an option for restoring sensation to the breasts after mastectomy. This procedure can be performed on patients with all breast cancer subtypes, including hormone-positive, HER2+, triple positive, and triple-negative breast cancers. It can also be done on women receiving preventative mastectomies and reconstruction due to a genetic predisposition to breast cancer.