What Can Be Done To Correct The Breast Asymmetry After A Combined Lift And Implant Procedure?

Q: Six months ago I had breast implants with an around the nipple type of lift, I had 350cc silicone implants placed in each breast. Right after the surgery, there were a noticeable difference in the shape of my left breast. It sat lower on my chest and appeared smaller than my right breast. Can this be fixed? I have attached pictures from different angles so you can see the difference.

A: In looking at your pictures, I see a fairly good result. While I do not know what you looked like before surgery, this is an overall nice result, I do see a slight difference in the breasts with the left breast having a small amount of inferior and lateral positioning, This may or may not have to do with the location of the implant.

For the sake of discussion, let us assume that it is an implant location issue. One of the most common reasons for revisional surgery after breast augmentation surgery is implant asymmetry or malposition. This presents in many ways from an implant being too high, too low, too far to the side, to being too far to the middle. Invariably, there is always the good breast and then the bad one. (or as I call it the good sister and the bad sister)

Implants that are too low or too far to the side can be corrected using an internal suture technique decreasing the size of the pocket and moving the implant to a more symmetric position to that of the other side. Expect improvement but not perfection. It is unlikely that your breasts were perfectly symmetric from the beginning and this surgery has likely unmasked that pre-existing issue.

I would also think very carefully about revisional surgery for a minor amount of breast asymmetry. All surgery involves risks which are always greater when a synthetic implant is involved. Those risks are not necessarily less than that of the original breast augmentation/lift surgery.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana