Surgery Plastic Surgery Planning Your Surgery Nerve Damage After Plastic Surgery By Millicent Odunze, MD Millicent Odunze, MD Facebook Millicent Odunze Geers, MD, MPH, is a plastic surgeon with Dignity Health Medical Foundation. Learn about our editorial process Updated on April 18, 2021 Medically reviewed by William Truswell, MD Medically reviewed by William Truswell, MD Facebook LinkedIn William Truswell, MD, is board-certified in otolaryngology and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He is president of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Learn about our Medical Expert Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents A Surgeon's Nightmare Causes and Effects Recovery Effects by Procedure Any time an incision is made in the skin, there will be nerve damage. If you have a scar, you'll notice that the sensation in the area of your scar is less than the sensation of the skin on either side of the scar. This is a minor nerve injury and, eventually, it becomes barely discernible. However, the nerve damage that occurs after plastic surgery can be catastrophic. Image Source / Getty Images Every Plastic Surgeon's Nightmare Nerve damage is a serious complication that anyone considering plastic surgery must be aware of. The nightmare of every plastic surgeon is the dreaded complication of permanent nerve damage. While most nerve injuries are temporary, any loss of function—no matter how fleeting—generates sleepless nights for your surgeon. While surgical nerve injury isn't always avoidable, it's especially objectionable in cosmetic plastic surgery because the procedures are elective as opposed to medically necessary. It can be devastating for a healthy person to be worse off after a procedure meant to enhance a normal structure. Even when your surgeon provides the "standard of care," nerve injuries can occur. Causes and Effects of Nerve Damage Nerve damage can occur with any plastic surgery procedure. Injury occurs if nerves are stretched, cut, or cauterized. Nerve damage includes a spectrum from sensory nerve deficits (numbness and tingling sensation) to motor nerve deficits (weakness or paralysis of certain muscles). If a nerve is severely damaged, the effects may be permanent. Who's Getting Plastic Surgery? Recovery From Nerve Damage Most nerve damage will recover spontaneously (without treatment) within six months to a year. In some cases, it can take two to three years for complete recovery. As nerve function returns, you may experience itching, shooting pains, or electrical shock sensations. If the nerve is severed, then numbness and the inability to move the affected muscle are permanent. Surgical intervention is required to restore function in these cases. Nerve Damage by Procedure Specific procedures have certain outcomes if a nerve is damaged. The tables below summarize which nerve injuries are associated with some plastic surgery procedures. FACIAL ENHANCEMENT Procedure Effect of Nerve Damage Forehead/brow lift Loss of motion or weakness of forehead muscles Loss of feeling of eyelid skin, forehead, and scalp Inability to close eyes Rhinoplasty (nose job) Numbness of nasal skin Rhytidectomy (facelift) Facial numbness Inability to move face and make facial expressions (e.g., smiling) Drooping of the cheek, mouth, or lips Numbness of portions of the ear Genioplasty (chin augmentation) Numbness, pain, and tingling of lips, chin, and cheeks Lower lip drooping Neck lift Numbness of portions of the ear Drooping of the mouth or lips Neck skin numbness BREAST SURGERY Procedure Effect of Nerve Damage Breast augmentation Increased or decreased nipple sensationNumbness near incisionNumbness of breast skin Mastopexy (breast lift) Loss of nipple sensationNumbness near incisionsNumbness of breast skin Breast reduction Loss of nipple sensationNumbness near incisionsNumbness of breast skin BODY CONTOURING Procedure Effect of Nerve Damage Tummy tuck Numbness and tingling of abdominal skin Liposuction Numbness at incision sitesNumbness and tingling in liposuctioned areas 2 Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Borsook D, Kussman BD, George E, Becerra LR, Burke DW. Surgically induced neuropathic pain: understanding the perioperative process. Ann Surg. 2013;257(3):403-12. doi:10.1097/SLA.0b013e3182701a7b Grinsell D, Keating CP. Peripheral nerve reconstruction after injury: a review of clinical and experimental therapies. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:698256. doi:10.1155/2014/698256 Additional Reading Ghavami, A. Genioplasty. In Janis JE, ed: Essentials of Plastic Surgery. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2014. Loftus JM. The Smart Woman's Guide to Plastic Surgery. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education; 2008. Siemionow MZ, Eisenmann-Klein M. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. London: Springer-Verlag, 2010. Thorne CHM, et al. Grabb and Smith's Plastic Surgery. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW); 2013. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies