Samaritan Plastic, Reconstructive & Hand Surgery Breast Surgery

Mastopexy, or breast lift surgery, is the surgical repositioning of breast tissue, the nipple and areola (the colored portion around the nipple) to reshape the breast into a more youthful contour. With time, gravity, pregnancy and breastfeeding, or extreme fluctuations in weight, the breast may take on a drooping appearance. Breast lift surgery can reposition the nipple and areola higher on the chest, restore fullness and projection, and create a more youthful appearance. It accomplishes this through the removal of excess breast skin, tightening the surrounding tissue and resuspending breast tissue higher on the chest wall. Mastopexy can be combined with augmentation using a breast implant if you desire more volume and fullness in addition to a lift. Sometimes this technique requires a staged procedure to minimize risk of complications.

You may be a good candidate for mastopexy if you are healthy, do not smoke, have realistic expectations of the results and have no history of breast disease or breast cancer. You may need to have a screening mammogram prior to breast lift surgery depending on your age or risk factors for breast cancer.

Breast augmentation surgery entails placement of a breast implant to increase the volume and projection of the breasts, and sometimes to enhance symmetry in the breasts. It is most frequently performed in women whose breasts are naturally small, women who have lost volume in the breasts following pregnancy and breastfeeding, and women who have lost breast volume with weight loss. The operation carries a high overall satisfaction rate.

Implant options include saline breast implants and silicone breast implants. Silicone breast implants were temporarily removed from the market by the FDA in the 1990s over health concerns if they rupture. However, extensive and rigorous scientific studies have proven they are safe, even in the setting of implant shell rupture.

You may be a good candidate for this procedure if you are healthy, do not smoke, are at least 18 years of age or older and do not have a history of breast cancer. If you desire silicone gel breast implants, you must be 22 years of age or older according to FDA guidelines. If you are over the age of 40 and have not had a mammogram or are under 40 with a strong family history of breast cancer, you may need to undergo a screening mammogram prior to augmentation.

Breast reduction surgery, alternately known as reduction mammaplasty, is the removal of excess breast tissue and skin of the breasts to reduce neck and shoulder strain, allow a more proportioned breast to body size, and to allow more comfortable physical activity. Very large breasts can lead to grooving in the shoulders by bra straps, numbness in the arms and shoulders by compression of nerves by the bra strap, skin irritation under the breast and self-consciousness in public. In addition to removal of excess weight in the breasts, breast reduction surgery also lifts the breast tissue on the chest wall so the remaining tissue is better supported by the ribcage.

Under certain conditions, your insurance will cover breast reduction surgery. They may require a certain volume be removed as well as proof that conservative measures have failed to relieve symptoms. These may include appropriately fitted supportive bras, physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture or weight loss. It should be noted that breast reduction surgery is not weight loss surgery and may not be right for you if your breasts are large due to being overweight.

You may be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery if your breasts are very large relative to the size of the rest of your body, you are physically healthy, you do not smoke, you do not have a history of breast disease and you suffer from any of the associated symptoms of having large breasts. These include neck and back strain, grooving of the shoulders, skin irritation with yeast infections and skin breakdown under the breasts, decreased exercise tolerance and numbness in the arms and shoulders.

In the United States, roughly one out of every eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. The current standard of care for most breast cancers is surgical removal of either part of the involved breast, or the entire breast. This often results in disfiguring surgical defects. The reconstruction of the breast can be achieved through several techniques. These include the use of breast implants; the use of your own tissues from the back, belly or buttocks; breast reduction techniques for lumpectomy; and fat grafting. While the reconstructed breast will never have the same sensation or exact appearance of the native breast, it can potentially achieve a normal appearance in clothing or swimwear and a good appearance without clothing.

We are proud to offer the full spectrum of breast reconstructive options including implant reconstructions, fat grafting for contour corrections in breast reconstruction or with lumpectomy defects, and nipple reconstruction. The initial reconstruction can frequently be performed at the same time as your breast cancer surgery. In the setting of a one-sided mastectomy, breast lift or augmentation can be performed on the native opposite side to achieve symmetry.

Our board certified surgeons are well experienced with multiple breast reconstructive techniques and find it profoundly rewarding and humbling to help you through your cancer treatment journey. We work closely with your surgical, medical and radiation oncology team to provide you with the optimal care in both your cancer treatment and your return to feeling whole again.

In certain instances, breast tissue in men can become overdeveloped and lead to a more feminine breast contour. This can be due to abnormalities in natural hormone production, side effects of illicit or prescription drugs and/or vitamin supplements, or breast disease. Frequently, however, there is no identifiable cause. Multiple treatment options exist depending on the degree of breast enlargement. Liposuction alone may suffice. For larger increases in breast size, surgery through an incision at the areola (the colored portion around the nipple) may be required. In the rare case of an extreme increase in size, a breast reduction similar to those performed on women may be required.

Sometimes the surgery is covered by insurance. If it is a covered benefit under your plan, we will bill insurance as indicated for the procedure. In the event it is not covered, we are happy to provide you with an itemized estimate regarding cost.

You may be a good candidate for gynecomastia reduction if you are nearly or completely through puberty, underlying hormone abnormalities have been ruled out, are otherwise healthy, do not smoke and have realistic expectations about results. You may need to undergo evaluation by an endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in hormones and glands, to rule out a hormonal cause for breast enlargement. Depending on your age and/or if the enlargement is asymmetric, you may be referred for a screening mammogram.