What is breast asymmetry? How does it develop?
Breast asymmetry is manifested by disproportionate breast growth, which is a very common condition. When there is no extremely remarkable difference, the person ignores it and lives with this condition; however, surgery is a must for severe asymmetry.
What Are the Types of Breast Asymmetry?
If one breast is normosized and the other is small, the small one is augmented using implant or fat transfer. For the subjects with such a breast asymmetry, sagging is a common problem for the normosized breast. If sagging is noted in the normosized breast, it is also lifted up during the surgery.
If one breast is normosized, while the other is oversized, the large one is reduced.
If one breast is oversized and the other one size small, the large one is reduced, while the small one is augmented with implant.
In some cases, one breast stays hypoplasic or aplasic (poor development or lacking of development) in young girls due to congenital causes. In such cases, underlying breast tissue is either poorly developed or had never developed. Syndactyly (fusion of two or more digits of hand) can be observed in ipsilateral hand. This condition is called “Poland Syndrome”. In this case, musculocutaneous flap is elevated and transferred to the location of breast aplasia or breast hypoplasia and the procedure is completed after an implant is placed beneath the flap.
What Are the Underlying Causes of Severe Breast Hypertrophy?
-
Postpartum breast engorgement
-
Breast hypertrophy after breastfeeding
-
Breast hypertrophy secondary to abnormal weight gain or loss
-
Breast hypertrophy after hormonal disorders
-
Breast hypertrophy secondary to genetic factors
-
Breast engorgement due to side effects of some medications
