Questions about loss of sensation after top surgery (still considering)

[jpek]

Hello folks. I'm brand new to this forum, but not brand new to gender exploration. I am masculine of center genderqueer and have been flirting with the possibility of top surgery for several decades now. Several times I've come very close but something has always held me back. The last time I seriously explored this option was six years ago when I was about to have a lumpectomy for breast cancer. I thought this would be the perfect time! But the doctor said something that made me put on the breaks.

 

What I want isn't full on masculanizing surgery but a very radical breast reduction. I have quite large breasts now, I guess size E or F and want very small ones. Like an A, so that you can't tell if I even have breasts when I'm wearing clothes. The surgeon said that with that large a reduction I would lose sensation in my nipples. According to him, with a reduction that radical, the nerves have to be cut before the nipple is reattached, hence the loss of sensation. I wasn't ready to commit to that at the time.

 

Now I'm back to exploring this question. I already have a lot of loss of sensation in one of my breasts because of radiation I got for the cancer.  The breast was completely numb for a while (icky) but now some vestigial feeling has returned. It may or may not return more fully with time but it's already been almost six years.  However, it's hard for me to commit to losing all or most sensation in both my nipples. For various reasons in my life I haven't had much chance to explore how important that is or isn't to me. but it still feels like a loss if I have to give it up, especially without being fully clear on what potential I'm giving up.

 

I'd like to know more about this and what my options are.  Is sensation loss inevitable? Is there a way to prevent it or minimize it? Is there a way to get it back? If not, what is it like to live without it? I'd love to hear about this from people who've had top surgery!

 

Thanks!

jpek 

[KathyLauren]

Sorry, I can't help you with your question, but I did want to welcome you to Trans Pulse.  This is a great community.

 

Regards,

Kathy

[Ashley0616]

That's a very tough question. My suggestion would be to look for videos on YouTube. There's a lot of content their. Glad you have found us and welcome.

[VickySGV]

You need to consult a different doctor, or maybe more than one to see if there are techniques to preserve the nerve tissue.  Breast reduction surgery has and does keep coming along since there are people seeking it beyond the Trans community for a variety of health reasons.  In any major surgery though there will be some sensation loss during the healing process, but even nerves do try to heal although they take longer than other tissue and if a nerve is cut, other nerves will try to "cover the area" but it will take a while for them to register with your brain as to what part they are covering which is a problem that other gender related surgeries also bring on.