Breast Asymmetry Correction Sydney

The actual surgery and incisions made depend on the techniques employed for correction. The techniques include:

• Breast Lift / Reduction (see breast lift procedure by clicking here, and breast reduction by clicking here)
• Breast Augmentation (see breast augmentation procedure by clicking here)
• Gland Reshaping
  • This does not place extra scars on the breast
  • During implant placement the constriction ring under the skin and around the nipple and areola is divided.
  • The gland itself is scored or divided so that it redrapes and enlarges over the underlying implant

• Minor liposuction is performed from an area where there is sufficient fat for harvest – the most common sites are abdomen, inner and outer thighs or buttocks
• The fat is collected in a sterile fashion, prepared and transferred to appropriate syringes for injection
• The fat is then carefully injected into the breast taking care to make sure it is surrounded by tissue with good blood supply.

• Transfer of the Latissimus dorsi muscle – this is similar to when this muscle is used for breast reconstruction (click here to read about latissimus dorsi breast reconstruction)

• In general drains are avoided during a breast asymmetry correction procedure allowing patients to go home the same day
• The exceptions are
  • Patients also having removal of old implants and capsulectomy (removal of the layer of tissue surrounding the implants)
  • Patients on blood thinning medications
  • If unexpected bleeding or alternative situation that could increase the risk of seroma (fluid collection) is found during the operation.
• If a drain is inserted you may need to stay in hospital overnight, or alternatively go home with the drain and see Dr Aggarwal or his staff the next day in rooms.

• Dr Aggarwal will place waterproof dressings over the incisions.
• You should wear a compressive sports bra or crop top for the first 6 weeks. This helps to reduce swelling, pain and discomfort in the early post-operative period as the area heals.
• You will be able to get the area wet after 48 hours and go back into your crop top or sports bra after your shower. You will not be allowed to swim in a pool or beach for at least 2 weeks after surgery. This could be a little longer is there are wounds that are slower to heal.
• You will be given a script for antibiotics by Dr Aggarwal which you must continue until the box runs out
• You will also be given pain relief medications although most patients only report minor amounts of post-operative pain that is responsive to simple oral analgesia.
• You will not be allowed to go back home on your own – you must have someone accompany you home, and it is best to have someone look after you for the first few days as you recover. You should not drive for at least 24 hours after having an anaesthetic nor operate heavy machinery.
• While most sedentary activities can be resumed in the first week, you must not do any exercise for the first few days after surgery that could raise your blood pressure. You will also not be allowed to do any heavy lifting or upper body exercises for the first 6 weeks.
• Dr Aggarwal will see you a week after your procedure to inspect how the wound is healing. You will be given instructions how to look after the wound as it continues to heal. You will be able to ask questions about what you can and cannot do. Generally we will see you at 1 week, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 month, 6 months and 1 year post surgery.

For risks of breast lift click here

For risk of breast reduction click here

For risks of implant replacement click here

For risks of latissimus dorsi transfer click here

The risks of fat grafting include

• Incomplete correction – approximately 50% of the fat grafted survives the transfer
• Need for repeat procedure
• Fat necrosis – if a large lump of fat is injected the centre of the fat globule may not survive as it is not in contact with vascularised tissue (i.e. tissue with blood supply) and can form a hard lump. Therefore during fat grafting Dr Aggarwal is careful to inject small amount of fat in different planes to reduce the chances of this.

• You can see us at our main practice at Gordon, or at our other locations at Hornsby, Hunters Hill or Camperdown.
• Please scroll to the bottom of the page to find out more information about these locations.

• Any of the hospitals where Dr Aggarwal works – i.e. Sydney Adventist Hospital, SAN Day Surgery, Hunters Hill Private or Castlecrag Private hospitals

• Cease fish oil, and other supplements such as Ginkgo, Ginseng.
• Please discuss with Dr Aggarwal if you are on blood thinning medications as to when you should stop and recommence those.

• No but Dr Aggarwal recommends that you purchase a crop top or sports bra which you should wear for at least 6 weeks.
• You should not wear any bras with an underwire during this period

• You should not do any exercise that raises your blood pressure for at least 72 hours after surgery to avoid the risk of an unexpected bleed
• Heavy upper body exercise should be avoided for 6 weeks

• Dr Aggarwal will provide you with the necessary scripts for antibiotics and pain relief.

• Not usually.
• Occasionally we may undertake scar revision in a private hospital or under local anaesthesia in rooms.
• Most patients are extremely satisfied following breast asymmetry correction surgery and will not require any additional surgery.

• Yes
• However we always encourage patients not to be away overseas shortly after having a procedure, so that we can closely follow your recovery and address any concerns that may arise.

• You may swim in a pool or beach after 2 weeks as this is the time it takes for the incision to heal.

• It is best to not drive for several days and up to 1 week after surgery.

• No
• You will require a general anaesthetic in an accredited private hospital.
• It is usually a day surgery procedure but you will need someone to pick you up and accompany you home after the procedure
• Minor scar revisions if required may be undertaken in the rooms under local anaesthetic.

• Yes it can if breast lift/reduction is part of the procedure
• A third of women preoperatively have reduced sensation to their nipples, a third have normal sensation and a third have more than normal sensation (hypersensitivity). Literature indicates that these ratios are unchanged following breast lift/reduction surgery.
• However we believe that it is possible to reduce the sensation to the nipple following any breast surgery. In most cases this should be transient and returns to normal, a process that takes up to 12 months.
• Permanent loss of sensation to the nipple is rare.
• If this is of significant concern to you, you should not have surgery on your breast.

• It is important to note that it can change if breast lift/reduction is performed as part of the procedure.
• Even in the normal population (women who have not had breast surgery) up to a third of women cannot breast feed at all, and a third require additional supplementation for their infant. The remaining third of women can breast feed normally. These proportions of women are unchanged after breast lift/reduction surgery.
  • However we believe that it is possible to reduce the ability to breast feed following any breast surgery.
  • If this is of great significance to you, you should either not have breast lift/reduction surgery or postpone it to when you have completed having your family.

• Yes
• If you have a breast implant inserted, radiographers can still take the image by partially displacing the implant and compressing the breast tissue in the imaging device.
• If you have a breast lift/reduction as part of your procedure the additional scarring within the breast can make breast mammogram and ultrasound more difficult to interpret by radiologists.
• It is therefore important that prior to undergoing surgery you have imaging of the breast – it makes sure there is nothing of concern in the breast tissue, and also forms a baseline against which a post-surgery mammogram can be compared.
• It is important for you to participate in regular screening as you would have otherwise done for breast cancer based on your age and family history, after having surgery

• No
• There is no association between breast implants and breast cancer.
• If you have a breast lift/reduction as part of your procedure – any tissue removed during surgery is sent for histopathological examination meaning it is examined by experts under a microscope. This is to ensure there is no evidence of suspicious pathology in that tissue.
• Despite having preoperative imaging, it is possible for an occult breast cancer to be detected by having surgery. The rate of this is much less than 1%.
• It is important for you to participate in regular screening as you would have otherwise done for breast cancer based on your age and family history, after having surgery
• In Australia it is recommended for women who reach the age of 50 to undergo 2^nd yearly mammography for breast cancer screening in the absence of other significant family history – if you have a strong family history you may be required to start breast cancer screening earlier
• You should also note that there is a more recent discovery of a disease called ALCL associated with breast implants – to read more click here.