A new study, published in the journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, found that women who receive large breast implants relative to the breast skin available may risk losing more nipple sensation than women who opt for smaller cup sizes, according to plastic surgeons.

Researchers evaluated 20 women who received breast implant surgery. A one-year follow up found that nipple sensation significantly decreased in women with large implants compared to the non-operated control group, according to Mark M. Mofid, M.D., of the University of California at San Diego.

Investigators also found that there is no difference in loss of nipple sensation between women who received breast implants through the periareolar (nipple incision) or the inframammary (incision in crease between chest and breast).

“Primary augmentation mammoplasty (breast implants) was found to have a statistically significant negative effect on sensory outcome when non-operated controls were compared with women who had undergone augmentation mammoplasty via either the periareolar or inframammary approach,” wrote the investigators.

While there was no difference in nipple sensation outcomes between the two different implant approaches, there was a considerable relationship between the implant size and the degree of nipple sensitivity.

“Plastic surgeons should feel comfortable counseling patients that augmentation mammoplasty by either the inframammary or periareolar approach results in no discernible differences in sensory outcomes,” researchers wrote.

However, they did add that “women who choose very large implants relative to their breast skin enveloped should be warned about potential adverse sensory sequelae within the nipple-areola complex.”