Is a patient more likely to regain sensation to the skin with tissue flap procedures over implant reconstruction?

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JoshLevineMD (Physician - Surgery - Plastic (Verified) ) - 05 / 24 / 2012

Implants will never develop sensation.

Autologous tissue reconstructions usually do. The degree to which sensation returns and the amount of time it takes is very variable. If sensation is a priority, some plastic surgeons can offer to connect a sensory nerve to your autologous flap. This may help the tissue to develop sensation quicker, but it requires sacrifice of sensation to the remaining breast skin, so the effectiveness of this extra step is still controversial.

The skin over the reconstruction is more likely to develop sensation with autologous tissue reconstruction because nerves can grow thought the transferred tissue to the overlying skin.
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