This is a minor nerve injury and, eventually, it becomes barely discernible. However, the nerve damage that occurs after plastic surgery can be catastrophic.
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.
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.
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.
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