There is no one, specific reason to consider breast surgery. Breast deformities come in many forms, both cosmetic and medical, and can become a cause of great anxiety and anguish to the afflicted. After over 20 years of industry experience, I can honestly say at this point I’ve seen them all. Whether you’re looking to enhance your breast size, reduce the overall size, or improve the shape and position of your breasts, I believe there is a procedure that will help you achieve the healthy and natural-looking physique you desire. I have provided a brief run-down below of some of the more common breast deformities and their corresponding corrective procedures in an attempt to shed some light on the subject.
Breast Asymmetry
Breast asymmetry, defined as a difference of form, position or volume of the breast, is one of the most commonly seen breast abnormalities. It affects more than half of all women in the United States. While doctors have not yet been able to pinpoint the exact cause of this condition, there are a number of contributing factors including heredity, hormonal changes, past traumatic injury to the back or chest or even in some cases breast cancer. Scoliosis or similar curvatures of the spine have also been known to contribute to asymmetrical breasts. Breast asymmetry can become a source of emotional distress, especially for adolescent-aged females. Breast augmentation surgery can provide major relief for women who feel self-conscious about the firmness or size of one or both of their breasts.
Nipple Inversion and Reduction
Much like the breast itself, the nipple can experience treatable aesthetic irregularities. Some people are simply born with flat or inverted nipples due to the structure of the nipple itself or the surrounding skin and underlying tissue. Others develop this condition over time. Whatever the cause, nipple inversion can result in emotional difficulties as well as functional problems, such as difficulty breast feeding. A newer technique called telescopic nipple reduction has shown extremely promising results. Telescoping involves shortening the nipple, while preserving feeling or sensation in the nipple. This technique is associated with a lower probability of visible scarring and post-op defect than other methods available today. The procedure is performed under local anesthetic.
Breast Revision Procedures
The results of a cosmetic breast surgery are not necessarily final. In certain cases, if a patient experiences further breast irregularities or complications following their breast augmentation procedure, breast revision can be performed. There are several reasons to consider breast revision including weight fluctuation, post-pregnancy concerns and more.
We at Atlanta Breast use breast revision regularly treat the following conditions:
Bottoming Out
An implant pocket created during breast augmentation can fail, causing the loss of tissue support at the bottom half of the breast that can lead to the implant to shifting downward, gradually lowering the natural bottom of the breast.
Rupture
Occurs when the shell of the implant breaks, but the fibrous capsule formed by the breast remains intact.
Capsular Contracture
Fibrous tissue becomes inflamed and forms scar tissue, as a direct result from a ruptured implant.
I hope that by providing as much info as possible, my patients will know if cosmetic breast surgery is the best path to fixing whatever abnormalities of the breast they may be experiencing. As always, I am more than happy to provide a comprehensive consultation to answer any additional questions and establish a treatment plan.