Threshold of tactile perception after nipple-sharing: a prospective study.

Reconstruction of the nipple-areola complex is the final procedure of a breast reconstruction. The method of choice in our department for nipple reconstruction is nipple-sharing and tattooing of the areola. Some patients are reluctant to use a part of the healthy nipple, as it is not fully known how the sensibility in the remaining donor nipple is affected by surgery. Twenty patients admitted to the hospital for nipple-sharing were invited to participate in the study. The tactile perception threshold of the donor nipple was assessed using von Frey monofilaments preoperatively, and 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The patients' subjective impressions one year postoperatively were also evaluated. The donor nipple had regained sensibility to touch six months after nipple-sharing. All patients reported that the nipple felt the same as before surgery and could become erect. We therefore recommend the nipple-sharing technique for completion of a breast reconstruction.