WHAT IS BREAST ASYMMETRY?
Many women have noticed that they have a slight difference in the shape and size of their breasts. Other parts of our body are not symmetrical and this is also the case with breast tissue. In most cases this is mild and may not be severe enough to consider surgery. Breast asymmetry is not considered a dangerous disorder unless your breasts have recently developed asymmetry. If you have noticed any recent change in your breast shape or a discharge from your nipple we would advise you to schedule an appointment with your General Practitioner. Poland’s syndrome can cause breast asymmetry:
- Poland’s syndrome is thought to be caused by insufficient blood supply to the breast area when you were a baby
- It results in a reduction in size of the affected breast and sometimes the underlying chest muscle and rib cage
- It is more common on the right side
- It is more common in males but more noticeable in females due to their increased breast development
- It can be associated with abnormalities in the arm and hand on that side
- Most cases of differences between the sizes and shapes of he breasts are not due to Poland’s syndrome and the reason some people have this condition is unclear.
If you are concerned that your breasts are different it might be worth arranging a consultation with a Plastic Surgeon to discuss what can be done to improve this.
WHAT IS INVOLVED?
The best solution for you varies between each person as the appearance of breast asymmetry is variable. Questions you should ask yourself are:
- Do you prefer the volume of the larger or smaller breast?
- Do you think your nipples are in a low position?
- Are your nipples and the brown area around them (the areola) normal?
- Are your breast a normal shape?
Depending on the answers to these questions you may require surgery to one or both of your breasts. This can involve:
- A breast reduction of your larger breast
- A breast enlargement of your smaller breast
- A breast uplift (mastopexy) on one or both of your breast if the nipple is in a low position
- Surgery to reduce the size of one or both of your areolas (the brown area around your nipple)
- Surgery to reduce the prominence of your areolas if they are domed and raised
- In many cases a combination of the above procedures is needed to improve the symmetry of your bust.
YOUR RECOVERY
A one night stay in hospital is usually necessary. You can find out more about your likely recovery by looking at the following sections of our website:
YOUR RESULTS
Stable results are common in women over 18 as their breasts are no longer growing. Some breast reduction and breast uplift techniques can lower your chance of successfully breastfeeding future babies. The aim of breast asymmetry surgery is to make your breasts look more symmetrical. In many cases, it is not possible to achieve absolute symmetry between your breasts. The aim of surgery is improvement rather than perfection. However, breast asymmetry surgery should permanently improve the size and shape discrepancies between your breasts.