Mastectomy can leave your reconstructed breasts numb. For a long time, this was an unavoidable outcome of protecting against breast cancer. Most breast reconstruction options restore breast and nipple appearance but not sensation.

Until now.

A new technique gives you the chance to not only look – but also feel – like yourself again. It’s called nipple nerve reconstruction.

Here’s how it works: During nipple-sparing mastectomy, surgeons reconstruct the nerve that supplies sensation to the nipple and the skin around it. The goal is to restore feeling in patients’ nipples and breasts. Nebraska Medicine is the first and only to offer nipple nerve reconstruction in Nebraska.

Breast cancer surgeon Juan Santamaria, MD, and plastic surgeon Sean Figy, MD, are excited to offer this new option for patients. “We’ve been doing nipple-sparing mastectomies for many, many years,” says Dr. Santamaria. “What’s new is trying to restore the nipple and breast skin sensation by reconstructing the nerve.”

“With breast reconstruction, we get to help people heal not only physically but also emotionally from the trauma of breast cancer,” says Dr. Figy.

Julie Jewell makes history as the first in Nebraska

Mastectomies aren’t just for people with diagnosed breast cancer. People at high risk due to an inherited cancer gene mutation or their family history are often candidates for surgery.

People like Julie Jewell. Jewell is a mother of six who works at Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska. Her family history meant her risk of breast cancer was high.

Jewell chose a preventive “risk-reducing” mastectomy, which greatly reduced her lifetime risk of breast cancer. It also meant she could potentially avoid radiation and chemotherapy. “I am so grateful for how far technology has come,” says Jewell. “When my mom had breast cancer many years ago, she didn’t have all the options that I do today.”

A perfect candidate for nipple nerve reconstruction, Jewell was excited to be the first to undergo it in Nebraska.

“I started getting pretty nervous the morning of the surgery,” Jewell recalls. “But I talked to Dr. Santamaria and Dr. Figy for quite a while. We went over everything. They have a way of giving you peace of mind.”

Her care team also paid attention to the details. “They wanted to make sure I had a hotel right across the street and that somebody could take care of me afterward.” Jewell’s sister and parents were more than up to the task. They made sure Jewell was well looked after.

Totally worth it

It takes time for the nerve to reconnect. A few months after the surgery, Jewell is starting to feel sensations again. “It’s a different feeling than I was expecting,” says Jewell. “It’s just the nipple nerve, so I only feel sensation in the nipple.” Around the nipple will still feel numb. She’s happy with the result. “We’ve made so much progress. And the incisions are barely noticeable.”

Jewell is glad she chose the new procedure. “I would tell the world to definitely go through this. It was totally worth it.”

Once a month, Dr. Figy travels to North Platte to see patients like Jewell. When she does make the trek to Omaha for appointments, Jewell appreciates how thoughtful her team is.

One time, a machine was down on the day of Jewell’s appointment. “They knew I had a long drive, so they rearranged my appointments so I could still see Dr. Santamaria that same day. Every step of the way, everybody was so considerate.”

“Nebraska Medicine is above and beyond amazing,” Jewell says.

The Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center is a founding member of the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium. Together, the Big Ten cancer centers support the work of more than 3,000 cancer researchers, care for 75,000 new cancer patients each year, and enroll more than 30,000 patient volunteers in cancer clinical trials.