MED0001860545
Read more here This website contains imagery which is only suitable for audiences 18+. All surgery contains risks.
This website contains imagery which is only suitable for audiences 18+. All surgery contains risks.
MED0001860545: This website contains imagery which is only suitable for audiences 18+. All surgery contains risks.
Read more here
Most women have some difference between their two breasts in size, shape, position or nipple appearance. Minor differences are normal and most women never notice them or feel any need to address them.
At a Glance
Breast Asymmetry Correction
Introduction
Most women have some difference between their two breasts in size, shape, position or nipple appearance. Minor differences are normal and most women never notice them or feel any need to address them. More marked asymmetry may have been present from puberty (developmental) or may have developed later in life from pregnancy, weight changes, surgery, injury or other causes.
Surgery to address breast asymmetry is highly individualised and may involve increasing one or both sides, reducing one or both sides, lifting, fat grafting, or some combination of these techniques performed together or in stages. The right approach depends on the type and degree of asymmetry, what’s caused it, the size and shape of the two breasts, and what the patient is hoping the surgery will achieve.
Causes of breast asymmetry
Common causes include:
Surgical options
What's appropriate for any individual patient depends on the type and degree of asymmetry, the size and shape of the two breasts, and what you're hoping to achieve. The common surgical approaches each have advantages and trade-offs, and they're often combined in a way that addresses several aspects of asymmetry at once.
An implant or fat transfer is used to add volume to the smaller breast. The implant size, shape and position are chosen to match the larger side as closely as possible. This approach allows the larger breast to remain unchanged but introduces an implant on one side, with the long-term implications that come with implants. Unilateral augmentation can also produce a noticeable difference in feel and movement between the two sides over time, because the implanted side ages differently to the natural side.
A reduction is performed on the larger breast to bring it closer in size to the smaller one. This approach avoids implants entirely and is sometimes the preferred option, particularly when the larger breast is heavy or causing physical symptoms. The trade-off is that the patient ends up with a smaller overall breast size on both sides, which may not suit every patient’s preferences.
Where the difference between the two breasts is in position rather than volume, a lift may be performed on the lower-sitting breast or on both sides to improve symmetry. This addresses position without changing volume.
Fat grafting can add modest volume or correct contour irregularities, either alone or in combination with other procedures. It’s particularly useful for fine-tuning asymmetry where only a small volume difference needs to be addressed.
More complex asymmetry often calls for a combination of these techniques, sometimes performed in stages over more than one operation. A patient might have a reduction on one side combined with augmentation of the other, or an augmentation with a unilateral lift, or any number of combinations depending on what’s needed.
Realistic outcomes
Surgery for breast asymmetry aims to make the two sides more similar. It can’t make them identical, and it’s important to be clear about that from the outset. Some difference will always remain, and the goal of surgery is for the two breasts to look balanced when wearing clothing or a swimsuit, and to be more closely matched than they were before when unclothed.
More than one operation is sometimes needed to achieve the planned result, particularly for complex asymmetry where multiple aspects need to be addressed. We’ll discuss any planned staged approach openly before any surgery is booked, so you have a clear picture of what you’re committing to and what the likely timeline is for the full course of surgery.
The procedure
Asymmetry correction is performed under general anaesthesia in an accredited hospital. Duration and complexity depend on the procedures planned. A simple unilateral augmentation may take an hour or two, while complex combined procedures involving augmentation, reduction and lifting can take several hours. Most patients stay in hospital for one to two nights, with longer admissions reserved for more complex combined procedures.
Recovery
Recovery depends on the procedures performed. You’ll wear a surgical bra for several weeks regardless of the operation. Lifting, vigorous exercise and overhead activity should wait around six weeks. Desk work is generally possible after one to two weeks, with longer for more complex combined procedures or for patients in physical roles.
Where the operation has been bilateral but the procedures performed on the two sides differ (for example, augmentation on one side and reduction on the other), recovery may feel different on each side, with the two breasts settling at different rates and producing some temporary asymmetry during the early healing phase that resolves as the swelling settles.
Risks
The risks depend on the procedures performed and include:
Results vary
Honest counsel on outcomes
Some difference between the two breasts will always remain after surgery. The starting asymmetry, the procedures performed, the condition of the tissues, and individual healing all affect the outcome. Nothing on this page is a guarantee of any specific result, and we don’t promise perfect symmetry from a procedure that can’t deliver it.
FAQs
No. Surgery aims to make the two breasts more similar but can’t make them identical. Some difference always remains. The aim is improved balance, not perfect symmetry, and patients who go in expecting an identical result are often disappointed by what’s actually achievable. We’re honest about this at consultation.
Sometimes yes. Reduction of the larger side, lifting, or fat transfer can be used without implants in selected cases. What’s appropriate depends on the type and degree of asymmetry, the patient’s preferences about implants, and the size of the two breasts. We’ll discuss the options at consultation.
More than one operation is sometimes required, particularly for complex asymmetry where several aspects need to be addressed. We discuss this at consultation, and any planned staged approach is explained before surgery is booked so you have a clear picture of the full course of treatment.
Some asymmetry correction procedures attract a Medicare rebate where specific criteria are met. Cosmetic asymmetry correction generally isn’t covered. A written quote is provided at consultation, including any expected Medicare rebate where applicable.
Surgery for developmental breast asymmetry is generally considered after the breasts have finished developing, which usually means waiting until late teens or early adulthood. For patients under 18, additional Medical Board requirements apply, including a longer cooling-off period of three months and an independent psychological assessment before surgery can proceed. The right timing for any individual patient is discussed at consultation.
Practitioner
Dr Henry Shepherd, BMed MD MS (Plast.) FRACS (Plast.) | Specialist Plastic Surgeon | AHPRA registration: MED 0001860545