Breast Surgery 101: The Basics of Augmentations, Reductions, and Reconstructions

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has ended, but that doesn’t mean we should turn our attention away from issues surrounding breast health. It’s important to highlight the issue throughout the year, as well as acknowledge the various forms of breast surgery hundreds of thousands of American women have each year for reconstruction or cosmetic reasons. The 2018 statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that breast augmentation was the most common form of plastic surgery in the United States, with more than 300,000 procedures performed that year. For patients in the Philadelphia area, plastic surgery on the breasts was certainly popular at the Cirillo Center for Plastic Surgery. Dr. Laura Gowen worked with many women seeking to add volume, as well as patients who wanted to make other changes to their silhouette. Here are the three most common procedures women choose:

Breast Augmentation

Since the days of Marilyn Monroe and other starlets of the Golden Age of Hollywood, full breasts have been thought of as visually ideal in the Unites States. The 1960s saw the advent of the very first “modern” breast implants. Since then, the techniques and devices used in the augmentation procedure have become far more advanced—and safer than ever before. In addition to breast enlargement, this form of surgery can also be used to alter the shape, density, or angle of breasts. The most common way to do this is with implants, though fat transfer is also an option.

Although all implants have an outer shell made of silicone, there are various filling options. The two main types are silicone gel and saline. Additionally, patients can choose from a wide spectrum of implant shapes and sizes. In a breast augmentation, an incision may be made in an easily concealed location, such as in the inframammary fold (the crease below the breast), around the outside of the areola, or within the armpit.

There are many possible reasons why women may choose breast augmentation. They may feel self-conscious about having naturally smaller breasts, wish to fit better into their clothes, or want to restore lost volume from pregnancy.

Breast Reduction

While some women may be concerned about having a small cup size, others may be burdened by overly large breasts. Some women may feel embarrassed about their excess volume, or dislike the way clothes fit them, but large breasts can be more than just a cosmetic concern. Large breasts can get in the way of sports and have a negative effect on posture. The constant stress and pressure due to heavy breast can be painful for the neck, shoulders, and back.

During a reduction procedure, unwanted fat, tissue, and skin may be trimmed away, the tissues repositioned, and the areola and nipple moved and repositioned, depending on what is needed for an individual case.

 

Breast Reconstruction

Mastectomies are often used as a treatment for breast cancer and may involve removing an entire breast or both breasts, part of one or both breasts, and/or nearby tissues. The aim of this surgery is to prevent cancer from spreading elsewhere in the body or to reduce a woman’s risk of developing cancer in the first place.

There are many choices available for post-surgery breast reconstruction, including prosthetic breast reconstruction, autologous reconstruction, and oncoplastic reconstruction.

Prosthetic breast reconstruction can be beneficial for patients with congenital chest wall or breast deformities. To prepare the breast pocket for the implant, an expander may first be inserted below the skin and muscle for several months.

With autologous reconstruction, the patient’s own tissue is grafted from another area of the body to re-create a breast shape. After a lumpectomy—a type of breast-conserving surgery in which only abnormal tissue is removed—the impacted breast may ultimately appear distorted or asymmetrical and dissimilar to its twin. Oncoplastic reconstruction is used to correct this with a combination of breast reductions and other procedures.

The Cirillo Center for Plastic Surgery team is available to answer questions about breast augmentation and other breast procedures. To learn more about what you can expect from breast surgery, contact the practice serving the Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia areas. Call 610.672.0500 or send a message.