Nerve 'Resensation' technique restores feeling and hope for breast cancer survivors after mastectomy

When a woman is told she needs to remove her breasts due to cancer, the emphasis is placed on saving her life. At the same time, doctors find up to 60% of women who have mastectomies experience persistent breast numbness. Now a new surgical technique is offering survivors a chance to return to a quality of life they remember.

Last spring, Kelli Kempt's life turned upside down.

"I felt a lump when I was changing, and I'd never felt anything like that before," said Kempt, a La Brea resident.

Her dog, Holly, persistently sniffed at the same spot. Following a biopsy, she received a call.

"He said, 'I'm sorry to tell you, but you have invasive ductal carcinoma,'" she said.

It was an aggressive form. For peace of mind. Kempt opted for a double mastectomy. But others who had complete breast removals warned her of a little-known but impactful side effect.

"They started to tell me it doesn't feel the same when I hug my kid or I have to be careful when I get in the shower because I won't feel if it's hot," Kempt said.

Providence St. Joseph breast surgeon Dr. Maher Gobran said loss of feeling in the chest is common.

"As the breast tissue comes off completely, those sensory nerve fibers that supply to the breast are very small, they are very tiny, they ultimately get cut as we remove breast tissue. It's a constant reminder of their diagnosis and what they have been through in the treatment," he said.

"Am I gonna have this shocking memory of everything, of the chemo, of the surgery, of everything every time I hug someone?" Kempt wondered.

To prevent this, doctors offered her a new approach using nerve grafts to help women regain sensation post-surgery. After the breast is removed, a plastic surgeon takes over.

"She came in and grafted the nerves from the cut ends to her skin to restore a pathway to the brain," said Gobran.

The nerve "Resensation" procedure as part of a mastectomy is becoming increasingly available. It's often covered by insurance and associated with little added risk. Yet, many patients never hear about it.

"They should be asking their breast surgeon as well and their plastic surgeon that are involved in their care about the availability of the procedures," said Groban.

It can take months for the numbness to dissipate. For Kempt, feeling the sensation of hugging her puppy or even a new friend has been reassuring.

"It felt like they believed I was going to survive and that it mattered how I felt after," she said.