Solving Breast and Chest Wall Asymmetry
Having perfectly symmetrical breasts is an uncommon thing and for almost all women, their right breast and left breast are never identical. For some women, however, the difference can be major, and can be a key cause of self-esteem issues and difficulties with interpersonal relationships. The solution for many women comes down to surgery, and shaped highly cohesive breast implants can play a huge role in getting the dimensions right the first time.
Dealing with breast abnormalities
Growing into adulthood with two dissimilar shaped or sized breasts is one disappointment; growing up with a chest wall deformity adds to the feelings of being different or not normal. For this group of young women who may have asymmetric breast shapes and volume, as well as an underlying chest wall deformity, a simple breast augmentation alone often fails to correct their complicated asymmetry. With the newest shaped highly cohesive gel breast implants, we can safely correct both problems and produce long lasting, stable results- something we could rarely do with round implants.
For many of my patients, this can be a very sensitive issue, often hidden from their Moms, siblings, and friends for years. Some of my patients may also have rare genetic syndromes, often going through other surgical procedures to correct their chest wall, spine, or heart during childhood.
Reaching young adulthood, these young women are faced with going off to college, developing sexual relationships, and gaining a sense of who they are. Add to this a chest wall deformity and two different size breasts, and together you have young women with very poor self-esteem. It may take quite a bit of courage to bring up the idea of surgery with their parents or friends.
Highly cohesive implants and fat grafting can offer new hope for the correction of asymmetrical breasts
Highly cohesive gel implants allow a much greater degree of specificity in breast augmentation. They allow surgeons the ability to “add” gel precisely where needed to help create better chest wall and breast symmetry. More than just adding volume, silicone implants with a higher percentage of gel fill and various widths and projections help create shape and symmetry that lasts. The addition of fat, harvested from those who have a little extra in other areas, can create improved natural outcomes with smaller and lighter implants.
Seek out a truly experienced plastic surgeon
Achieving stable, beautiful results the first time is an important goal for the patient to have. Seeking out an experienced breast augmentation surgeon who has years of experience with all types of breast implants is critical. Young women with breast and chest wall deformities need to do their homework. What works for their friends, may not work for them. Important decisions about size, shape, and the fill of the implant need to be discussed before they undergo a breast augmentation. Options that also include the use of fat to improve symmetry should also be discussed. It is only through careful pre-operative planning and education that patients can become better educated, make better decisions, and achieve their goal to feel pretty and “normal”.
