Breast Asymmetry

Breast asymmetry is a size or shape difference between your breasts. It can be improved with surgery which may include a breast uplift, reduction or enlargement.

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:
  • Breast reduction
  • Breast enlargement
  • Breast uplift
  • Nipple surgery

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.