Your motivation for undergoing plastic breast surgery is as individual as you are. Breast augmentation may have been a long-term desire for you as childbearing or nursing may have changed the way your breasts appear and feel. Or you may be in need of breast reduction as carrying around breasts that are too big may be lowering your self-esteem and creating physical pain.
Whatever your reason might be, a plastic surgeon can help you out. They will listen to your concerns and discuss the treatment options available for you. These treatment options are supported by innovative processes, cutting-edge equipment, and state-of-the-art technology. If you’re curious to know more, here’s how a plastic surgeon can help you with your breast problems.
Table of Contents
Breast augmentation
Breast augmentation or breast enlargement is a procedure you undergo to enhance your breasts’ size, shape, and appearance. The procedure involves inserting silicone, saline implants, or fat transfer into the breasts to increase the volume. These implants are inserted through a tiny incision and positioned behind the breast tissue. Afterward, the incision is closed with the use of dissolvable stitches.
There are a variety of implant sizes, shapes, and incision procedures to select from that would match your specific needs. You may want to consider breast augmentation for any of the reasons below:
- You believe your breasts are too small and you want to enhance the size.
- Your breasts have changed as a result of childbearing or weight loss.
- You’re looking to fix breast asymmetry issues.
Breast enlargement is quite a straightforward plastic surgical procedure. However, as with any other surgery, there are risks and uncertainties to be expected. You need to understand what you need and what your expectations are. Examine the benefits, drawbacks, and alternatives available for you. (1)
Breast reduction
Breast reduction removes extra breast fat, tissue, and skin to make the size of the breasts smaller and proportionate to your physique. This surgery is ideal for you if you have huge, heavy breasts that are causing you substantial discomfort.
Huge breasts are sometimes associated with health issues, such as skin irritation and neck or back pain. They could also result in improper posture. Reducing the size and weight of your breast can help you relieve back pain and improve your overall posture. (2)
Before you decide, your surgeon will explain to you the choices you have and prescribe the best way to help you attain your desired breast size and shape. The procedure you need will be determined by your present breast size and composition and the amount of reduction you require. There are cases when a surgeon would only use liposuction to reduce the size of your breasts.
Breast lift or mastopexy
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, age, and weight loss are some of the causes of breast sagging, also often known as breast ptosis. If you have this condition, it means your skin isn’t firm enough to support the weight of your breasts. In other words, you have too much skin compared to your breast tissue.
To lift and reposition your breasts, a plastic surgeon would normally perform mastopexy, which is usually an outpatient procedure. This is done by removing extra skin, rearranging your breast tissue, and restoring the breasts’ shape.
There are several techniques for performing this procedure:
- Wise pattern: Here, the surgeon uses an anchor-shaped incision that goes around the chest and below the breast.
- Lejeour: The surgeon here makes an incision around the areola and then down.
- Periareolar or donut: In this technique, the surgeon makes the incision only around the areola.
Although treatments are available to lessen the appearance of scars, a breast lift procedure may result in some permanent scarring. Notably, this procedure alone doesn’t enhance breast volume. You may need to combine it with breast augmentation if you also wish to increase your breast size.
Breast reconstruction
Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can be physically and emotionally draining. Having to undergo a mastectomy or breast removal as part of your breast cancer therapy further adds to the psychological distress.
Luckily, breast reconstruction after surgical breast removal can help you cope with this stress and regain a sense of normality. The treatment recreates the ideal look, shape, and volume of the breasts, as well as the areola and nipples. However, the normal breast feeling and function and the ability to feed won’t return due to the elimination of or damage to the sensory nerves, milk glands, and ducts.
Male breast reduction
Gynecomastia, or overdevelopment of the male breast tissue, is a disorder affecting 50% of men and 65% of boys. The condition causes the male breast tissue to swell, which can be uncomfortable or painful. In addition, overly large male breasts can lead to low self-esteem and emotional issues. (3)
Male breast reduction, also known as gynecomastia treatment, is a surgical operation that eliminates extra chest tissue through incisions performed on the chest. The procedure also raises the nipples and can lower their size to be proportionate to your physique.
Surgical removal of fat and glandular tissue and liposuction are common components of male breast reduction surgery. You don’t have to worry about scarring and going shirtless after surgery since incisions are done near the pigmented parts of the nipple. The surgeon can also decide to remove the excess tissue and skin in extreme situations.
Breast revision surgery
Sometimes your breast surgery wouldn’t go as well as you hoped for. If you’re not satisfied with a previous breast surgery result, a reputable plastic surgeon can assist you. Whether you experience breast drooping, implant deflation, symmastia, or any other abnormality resulting from previous breast surgery, it can be fixed by revision surgery. You might also be looking to remove an implant altogether, which a plastic surgeon can also perform. (4)
Conclusion
Breast issues can have a significant impact on your self-esteem and confidence. Whether you’re looking to enhance your breasts, reduce their size, or have a breast lift or reconstructive surgery, a plastic surgeon can help you, allowing you to recover your self-esteem. Notably, they can also help if you’re dissatisfied with the outcome of your previous breast surgery or have developed complications because of it.
References
- “What you need to know about breast augmentation”, Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263567#1
- “The Effects of Breast Reduction on Back Pain and Spine Measurements: A Systematic Review”, Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6756677/
- “Enlarged Male Breast Tissue (Gynecomastia)”, Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16227-enlarged-male-breast-tissue-gynecomastia
- “Breast Implant Revision”, Source: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/breast-implant-revision