Breast Asymmetry Correction Sunshine Coast

Some degree of asymmetry is normal, and most women have breasts that aren’t perfectly matched. Usually the difference is small and causes no concern. Surgery is worth considering when the asymmetry shows in clothing or swimwear, makes it hard to find bras that fit, or knocks your confidence. Your Specialist Plastic Surgeon will look at how marked the asymmetry is, how it affects you, and your general health before deciding whether surgery is the right step. In some cases the asymmetry meets the criteria for a Medicare rebate, which is checked against the Medicare Benefits Schedule at the time of your consultation. These criteria can change.

There are several reasons breasts can develop unevenly. When the difference has been there since adolescence, it usually comes down to how the breast tissue grew during puberty, with one side growing more, growing faster, or taking on a different shape. Genetics influence size, density and the underlying architecture. Each breast can react differently to hormonal changes through puberty, pregnancy, breastfeeding and menopause, often in volume or skin tone. Weight gain or loss alters the fatty tissue, and the two sides don’t always change at the same rate. Injury or previous breast surgery can also throw the symmetry out. In a smaller group of patients, asymmetry comes from a congenital condition like tuberous breast deformity or Poland syndrome, which change the way the breast and chest wall form.

Good candidates are women whose breasts have finished developing, who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, and who are in good general health. Reaching a stable weight first is also wise, since major weight changes after surgery can affect the result. A consultation with a Specialist Plastic Surgeon at our Maroochydore rooms is the best way to find out if surgery suits you. Your surgeon will examine your anatomy, talk through your goals, and be honest about what surgery can achieve. The aim is noticeable improvement, not perfect mirror-image symmetry. If you smoke, you will be advised to stop well in advance of any procedure, as smoking significantly increases the risk of complications and impairs healing.

Treatment is highly individual because asymmetry varies so much between patients. The main options are breast augmentation with an implant (or fat transfer in suitable cases) to add projection to the smaller breast, reduction mammaplasty to reshape and reduce the larger side, and mastopexy (breast lift) to reposition and re-contour tissue when one or both breasts have dropped or lost shape. Often the best result comes from a combination, for example using different-sized implants in each breast, or an augmentation on one side and a lift on the other. Your surgeon will work out a plan that suits your particular mix of size, shape and position differences.

Yes. The size, shape or position of the nipple-areola complex is often part of the asymmetry, and this can be sorted out in the same operation. Areola reduction or reshaping, nipple repositioning, and correction of inverted nipples can all be built into the surgery if needed. Your surgeon will look at the nipple-areola complex closely at your consultation and add any changes to the plan, so the size, position and projection of both nipples are dealt with alongside the breast tissue itself.

How quickly you bounce back will depend on the procedures you’ve had, though most patients follow a roughly similar pattern. Plan to rest at home for the first few days, use the pain relief you’ve been prescribed, and avoid strenuous movement. You’ll wear a supportive surgical bra day and night for several weeks; this helps the tissues settle and limits swelling. Office work is usually manageable again at around 10 to 14 days. Heavier physical work, gym sessions and running typically need four to six weeks off. Swelling takes time to come down, so the final shape of your breasts often isn’t obvious for several months. We’ll see you back in our rooms at intervals to check how you’re healing and to give you the green light for each stage of activity.

Will breast asymmetry correction affect my ability to breastfeed in the future?
For most patients, the ability to breastfeed is not greatly affected by asymmetry correction surgery, but the answer really depends on which procedures you have. Augmentation on its own usually has little effect on milk production. A breast reduction is more likely to alter milk supply, especially if it involves a lot of reshaping around the nipple-areola complex. If breastfeeding in the future matters to you, please tell your surgeon at the consultation so it can be taken into account when planning the surgery, and you can be given an honest answer for your particular situation.

Surgery gives a real, lasting improvement, but the results aren’t completely fixed. Ageing, weight changes, pregnancy and hormonal shifts can all alter how the breasts look in the years that follow. Implants are not lifetime devices either; modern implants last well, but they may need replacing at some point. Breast lift results can also be affected by breast size, since heavier breasts pull down more under gravity and may need revision sooner. Your surgeon will go through realistic long-term expectations with you so you can make an informed decision.

Like any operation, breast asymmetry correction has risks you need to understand before going ahead. The general surgical risks are bleeding, infection, poor wound healing and reactions to anaesthesia. Risks more specific to breast surgery include changes in nipple or breast sensation (usually temporary but sometimes permanent), scarring, capsular contracture if implants are used, and the chance that the result may not be perfectly symmetrical. There is also a small chance you may need revision surgery to refine the result. Your surgeon at Fraser Kirk Plastic Surgery will go through the relevant risks in detail at your consultation and adapt the surgical approach to keep them as low as possible. If implants are part of your surgery, it’s worth knowing that they are TGA-regulated medical devices with their own long-term issues to think about. These include the rare but recognised links to breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) and breast implant-associated squamous cell carcinoma (BIA-SCC). Your surgeon will give you the device information, manufacturer paperwork and consent forms, and will talk you through the ongoing surveillance advice so you can weigh it all up before deciding.

Medicare rebates are available for breast asymmetry correction in some cases. Eligibility is checked against the relevant Medicare Benefits Schedule item number criteria, which require the asymmetry to meet set clinical thresholds, measured with an accepted technique such as 3D imaging. Item numbers and eligibility criteria are set by the Department of Health and Aged Care and can change, so the rules in force at the time of your consultation are the ones that apply. If a valid Medicare item number applies and you have suitable private health insurance, your fund may also pay part of the hospital and theatre fees, which can take a real bite out of the out-of-pocket cost. You’ll need a GP referral to claim a Medicare rebate, and under current Medical Board of Australia rules a GP referral is also needed before any cosmetic surgical procedure. We can talk through your likely eligibility at the consultation, and it’s worth ringing your health fund beforehand so you know exactly what your cover includes.

Fraser Kirk Plastic Surgery is located at Level 3, 37 The Esplanade, Maroochydore. Our practice has two Specialist Plastic Surgeons, Dr Grant Fraser-Kirk (FRACS) and Dr David Sparks (FRACS, Plast), who have wide experience in breast surgery and a strong focus on personalised care. When you come in, your surgeon will look at your anatomy, talk openly with you about your goals, and explain the procedures most likely to give the result you want. To book your consultation, contact our rooms on (07) 5438 3588.