Every woman has two unique breasts. That’s right – even if your breasts look identical at first glance, they do in fact have differences between them, in shape and/or size. On the one hand, these differences may not even be perceptible to the human eye. On the other hand, the differences may be so great that they begin to have a negative impact on their quality of life.
The medical term used to describe the differences between a woman’s two breasts is breast asymmetry. When breast asymmetry, reaches a point where it causes a woman to feel self-conscious, or makes it difficult for her to find clothing, bras or swimsuits that fit properly, surgery to correct uneven breasts is an option.
“I always tell women, ‘Breasts are like sisters. They are not like twins,'” says NYC-based board certified plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Y. Maman. “There’s always going to be subtle differences between them. Having said that, there are women that fall outside the range of norm. There are some women that are extremely asymmetric, to the point where it is actually upsetting to the patient. These are women that I take care of at my practice.”
Find an Expert in the Correction of Breast Asymmetry
The treatment of breast asymmetry can be very complicated. This is due to the fact that there are many surgical options for a surgeon to consider. Due to the complicated nature of breast symmetry surgery, it is important to select a plastic surgeon who is experienced in correcting uneven breasts. While most plastic surgeons have experience with straightforward breast augmentation, not all surgeons have experience correcting breast asymmetry. “It’s important to have a very strong background in reconstructive breast surgery and also aesthetic breast surgery,” points out Maman. “The treatment of asymmetric breasts really meshes and melds those two fields together.”
Breast reconstruction surgery is a series of procedures performed to recreate a natural-looking breast after one or both breasts are removed as part of a treatment for breast cancer. Plastic surgeons who have extensive experience in breast reconstruction surgery are well suited to help women with naturally uneven breasts achieve a more symmetric appearance.
“There’s a broad spectrum of care for the asymmetric breast, and it’s important to choose a surgeon who has experience doing it and is an expert in treating asymmetric breasts,” adds Maman.
A Broad Spectrum of Surgical Options
You don’t have to live with breasts that are mismatched in size or shape. A more balanced and symmetrical look can be achieved through a variety of surgical options. Depending on the degree of breast asymmetry present, and the desires of the patient, different surgical options may be recommended by your surgeon.
Breast implants are often used to even out volume in asymmetric breasts. Other common procedures include breast reductions and breast lifts. In some cases, surgery may be done on only one breast. In other instances, surgery will be done on both breasts, to differing degrees. A combination of more than one procedure may be recommended to achieve the best results.
“It can be as simple as augmenting one side and leaving the other side alone,” begins Maman. “Sometimes it requires a breast lift on both sides, sometimes it requires a breast reduction on both sides – just a slightly greater reduction on the larger side. Other times it’s even more complex than that.”
Surgical Methods Used to Correct Breast Asymmetry:
- Augmentation of one or both breasts
- Reduction of one or both breasts
- Breast lift of one or both breasts
- Breast lift with implant for one or both breasts
When one breast is very full and the other breast extremely flat, Dr. Maman may recommend a series of staged procedures. In those cases, a tissue expander may be used in the first procedure in order to prepare the flat breast for an implant to be added at a later date to match the full breast.
High Patient Satisfaction
For the right patient, surgery to correct uneven breasts is a major confidence booster. Dr. Maman knows from experience that surgery to correct breast asymmetry has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates of all of the surgeries he offers at his practice.
“There’s such an emotional component to having breast asymmetry, in terms of perception by other people, that if we can fix you and get you to a point where you’re so happy, then you feel a lot better about yourself,” shares Maman. “You feel much more comfortable going out in public.”