Measuring nerve recovery and breast sensibility has been reported in a limited fashion in the past. A number of studies have assessed patients before and after breast reduction surgery using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments and found this to be an effective technique. A limited number of studies have been done in patients undergoing mastectomy for breast cancer using these techniques. The main limitation of these existing studies is the lack of prospective measurements before surgery and through time, thus restricting the findings to isolated long-term outcomes. Additionally, no studies have compared patients undergoing mastectomy versus lumpectomy to determine the impact that surgical approach has on breast sensibility.
