RICHMOND, Va. — Two sisters who discovered they carried the breast cancer gene made a bold decision to undergo preventative mastectomies on the same day. One sister's journey included an innovative procedure that allows patients to feel again after surgery.
Lexie Hunt and her sister Ivy never had breast cancer, but their family history raised concerns. Their grandmother and two aunts had breast cancer, and their father tested positive for the BRCA gene, which increases the risk of developing the disease.
"We were unlucky in that both of us got the 50% of it being positive," Hunt said.
In 2024, both women, who are in their 30s, decided to take control of their health by having preventative mastectomies and reconstruction surgery on the same day.
"We just had the high percentage of getting cancer in the future," Hunt explained. "Kind of taking our future in our own hands and being able to do it together."
While both underwent mastectomies, Hunt's surgery included an additional step called Resensation, a procedure that potentially restores feeling to breast tissue after reconstruction.
Resensation is a procedure that reconnects nerves that were cut during a mastectomy and allows the patient to feel again.
Dr. Kandace McGuire is the Chief of Breast Surgery at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center said numbness is common after a mastectomy.
"I am damaging the nerves inside the breast. Some of them need to be cut so I can remove all of the breast tissue," McGuire said. "And when you do that, the patients will experience pretty significant numbness that is permanent."
During Resensation, the oncologist and plastic surgeon work side by side. For eligible patients like Hunt, the plastic surgeon reconnects nerves during reconstruction.
"The graft that we use is like an extension cord, so it spans the distance. So then, using smaller than a human hair, I'll sew the nerves together. Carefully place that in and then close the skin," Dr. Paschalia Mountziaris, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Massey, explained.
Resensation is relatively new in the medical field. VCU Health is the first academic healthcare system in Virginia to perform the procedure, having completed 30 such surgeries so far.
McGuire says safety is the main reason patients choose Resensation.
"I call it avoiding the Mrs. Doubtfire moment," McGuire said. "When you're numb on your reconstruction, you can get burns or damage your reconstruction."
Hunt was a good candidate for Resensation because her surgery was preventative. She didn't need chemotherapy or radiation, which can damage nerves. Women who have received those treatments may still be eligible for the procedure.
After Resensation surgery, it takes about 18 to 24 months for nerves to regenerate and gradually restore feeling to the breast tissue.
For Hunt, the results have been significant, though not complete.
"It's not 100% but probably about 75% back to normal," she said.
The emotional impact of regaining sensation has been meaningful for her daily life.
"If I bump into something, I can feel it. Giving people a hug is really nice," Hunt said with a laugh.
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