Symmastia Repair and Life After?

Post-operative healingYou should be able to return to normal activity after #synmastia repair of your #breasts.

Patients
will feel sore and tired during the first 48 to 72 hours following this #cosmeticsurgery.
During these first few days, the patient should engage in light activities,
refraining from lifting or raising the arms above the head.

Swelling
and bruising will subside during the first week after surgery and will be
controlled by pain medication. The initial surgical tapes will be removed a few
weeks after surgery during a post operative visit. Patients typically may
return to a work a few days after surgery (only a light workload during the
first two weeks). Showers are permitted on post op day #3 if there are no
drains.

Scars
will progressively fade throughout the first year following surgery.

Symmastia is a condition which can occur when the implants are too close together. Patients often refer to this as a “uniboob.” This can occur for the same reasons as displacement noted above, but in this case the pocket(s) is/are too far towards the center.Correction of this problem may involve using different implants such as textured, a smaller size, or a smaller base and placing the implants in a new pocket. On occasion, this may require surgery in more than one stage to allow the tissues to heal and then place the implants. If the implants have been placed above the muscle, converting them under the muscle frequently will help and, again, the use of a dermal substitute may be required for additional support if the tissues are thin. The techniques of capsulorrhaphy and neopectoral pockets may apply here as well.

As Plastic Surgeons, we are unfortunately seeing more issues with symmastia than ever before.  And while an experienced surgeon can generally achieve good results with capsular repair and reinforcement with an ACD such as Strattice, the long-term durability is not always 100% predictable.  

 

To assure that your results will last, I would keep in mind that a majority of the long-term tissue strength will be achieved in 6 weeks and so you really need to limit physical activity (at least with your upper body) during that time.  In addition, I would recommend wearing a supportive underwire bra at all times immediately after surgery to help provide reinforcement.  

 

Keep in mind that the best way to avoid symmastia is to have an experienced Plastic Surgeon perform your breast augmentation in the first place.  It is far easier to achieve a good result the first time around than it is to fix it the second, third, or fourth time around. 

 

I hope that helps!

Symmastia repair should be repaired using Strattice or a similar product.  After surgery, I would recommend at least 8 weeks of restricted activity.  Afterwards, I would recommend always wearing a supportive underwire bra to protect the repair.  

 

In my experience there are 2 keys to successful symmastia repair, neither of which require removal of the implants. First is to reinforce the repair with an acellular dermal matrix such as Strattice, and the second is to make sure the implants are of the correct base diameter. After 6-8 weeks you should be able to begin unrestricted activity.

 I have found, that in the longer term, patients who have undergone symmastia corrective surgery are able to return to all activities, without difficulty. In my practice, I ask patients to avoid certain activities that strain the repair for many months after the procedures performed.  Some general information regarding corrective surgery may be helpful to you and other patients with symmastia: having used a variety of “techniques” for correction of symmastia, I find that the most reliable technique involves capsulorrhaphy ( internal suture repair of the breast implant pockets along the cleavage area).  In the past, I preferred the use of permanent suture; more recently, I have had good success with the use of longer-lasting absorbable suture. Sometimes, the use of acellular dermal matrix ( and more recently biosynthetic “mesh") may be helpful also, in some cases where the tissues are very thin. Often, it is necessary to “open” the breast implant pocket laterally (outer breast fold) to allow for positioning of the implant centrally behind the breast mound. This maneuver may also decrease the amount of implant pressure against the medial suture line.  These maneuvers also serve to better position the nipple/areola complexes, centered on the breast mounds.  When it comes to selection of breast implant size, patients should remember that the first priority is safety and prevention of recurrence of the breast implant malposition problem. You may find the attached link (dedicated to symmastia corrective surgery) helpful to you as you learn more.
Best wishes.

You should be able to resume a normal life and activities after this form of repair. I would avoid stressing the repair for at least 4-6 weeks

I would echo the thoughts of my colleagues.  At least 6 weeks of avoiding upper body activity/exertion.  I do think you should also give consideration to a neopocket technique.  

After correction of symmastia you can usually resume full activity in 2 months. However this is only possible if the implants are of the correct diameter for the patient and the repair is secure enough to keep the implant pockets separate. This may be achieved by suturing the cleavage area tissue with or without acellular dermal matrix.  SFC

Once the symmastia is repaired and the capsules are made smaller, you can probably go back to normal activity within about 6-8 weeks.