Notes from Dr. Jenq

Breast Augmentation Nuances—A Surgeon’s Perspective

Breast augmentation is a surgery in which implants are placed underneath a woman’s breasts for increasing the volume of the chest.  Usually, the same sized implants are placed on both sides.  This can be helpful in correcting thinning of the breasts and creating a more proportional chest to body ratio.  This surgery can also be helpful in correcting some inherent asymmetries that woman can develop over time.

When you visit with a plastic surgeon, important areas of asymmetry are noted to help develop the optimal treatment plan.  Some areas which may be checked are:

Inframammary fold—This is the fold at the bottom of your breast where it meets the chest wall.  On some women, one side may be higher than the other.  This may require the surgeon to determine the best technique to achieve the perfect results.  Sometimes, the fold may be lowered, other times, we may keep the fold location as it is.

Volume—Often, one side of the breast is larger than the other.  For most women, this difference is not noticeable and the same implant sized would be used on both sides.   Sometimes, we may opt to place a slightly larger implant on the smaller side to correct the size difference.

Skin looseness—At times skin may be looser, or resulting in a more ptotic breast on one side.  Sometimes this may require an additional skin tightening procedure.  Other times, a slightly higher volume with cause a lifting of the areola to a more aesthetically pleasing position.