Heather Tubigan was just 36 when she found a lump. The diagnosis—breast cancer—was terrifying enough and eliminating the tumor was an extreme relief. But even after her left breast was removed to save her life, another loss lingered: the loss of sensation.
Like many women who undergo mastectomy, Tubigan found herself grappling with a numbness that went beyond skin-deep. The left side of her chest no longer registered warmth, softness, or even the gentle weight of her 9-year-old son’s head as they cuddled.
But now, a team of researchers at the University of Chicago is working on an innovative solution: the bionic breast, a device designed to return the sense of touch to mastectomy patients.
The project, led by Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, a gynecologist and principal investigator of the Bionic Breast Project, builds upon cutting-edge neuroscience. It draws inspiration from previous work on neuroprosthetics—devices that restore sensation in prosthetic limbs for amputees and paralyzed patients.
The goal is ambitious: to create an implantable neuroprosthetic device that connects to the nerves in the chest and translates external touch into electrical signals the brain can interpret.
The first clinical trial, set to begin in early 2025, will test a key component of the device.
A Missing Piece in Breast Reconstruction
Tubigan’s story is not unique. More than 100,000 women in the U.S. undergo mastectomies each year. While cosmetic surgery can reconstruct the appearance of the breast, it cannot restore its sensory function—an often-overlooked consequence of the procedure.
For decades, breast reconstruction has focused almost exclusively on appearance. Implants or flap surgery can recreate the form of a breast, but they do nothing to restore feeling. Many patients are unprepared for the sensory emptiness that follows mastectomy.
The lack of sensation has significant emotional and psychological effects. Some women describe it as a loss of femininity or identity. Others report challenges in intimacy and sexual function.
Lindau, who has spent over a decade studying onco-sexuality—how cancer treatments impact sexual health—emphasizes that the breast is not just a visual feature. It plays a major role in pleasure, comfort, and human connection.
For patients like Tubigan, the idea of regaining sensation is intriguing.
How It Would Work
The research team is designing an implantable sensor that would sit beneath the skin of the reconstructed breast. This sensor would detect physical touch—whether a gentle caress or a firm embrace—and convert that information into electrical signals.
These signals would then travel to a processor implanted in the chest, which would communicate with electrodes connected to the remaining nerves in the breast area. The nerves, stimulated by these electrical signals, would send information to the brain—allowing the patient to feel touch again.
For the upcoming trial, participants who are already planning to undergo double mastectomies will have small electrodes connected to their chest nerves during surgery. These electrodes will extend outside the body, allowing researchers to test whether electrical stimulation can successfully recreate the sensation of touch.
Once the technology is refined, future patients will have an entirely internal system—no wires, no external components. Just a breast that feels like a breast again.
The timeline is ambitious. Even if the initial trials go well, the bionic breast will take at least five years to reach the public. But Lindau and her team are moving with urgency, recognizing how many women live with the loss of sensation every day.
This project also raises a bigger question: Why has the loss of breast sensation been overlooked for so long?
Breast cancer awareness campaigns emphasize survival and reconstruction. But quality of life after mastectomy is rarely part of the conversation. Lindau hopes the FEEL Project, an awareness campaign launched alongside the Bionic Breast Project, will change that.
The Bionic Breast Project could one day ensure that more women experience that love—not just in motherhood, but in every hug, every embrace, every moment of intimacy.
And that’s a future worth fighting for.
