Can Liposuction Treat Bulge in Breasts to Armpit Area?

Question

My breasts seem to be moving toward my arm pits. I am 60 so they are pretty flabby, I wear a 34D bra, but it is very hard to find bras that fit well because I pooch out  in the sides in most bras.Is there a way to fix this? I don't want to be bigger, just take out that side fat. Would liposuction work for me?

Leila Kasrai, MD, FRCSC · Answer

The fullness may be the result of excessive fat or breast tissue (tail of the breast or axillary breast tissue). Depending on the problem a combination of liposuction and resection of skin will need to be carried out. Once you visit a plastic surgeon, they can evaluate the best treatment for you.

Richard J. Bruneteau, MD · Answer

The treatment of pre axillary
folds is dependent upon the cause of the problem. In some cases
it may be secondary to excess fat. Under these circumstances, the fat bulges
outward from the end of the patient’s bra and is very noticeable. In other
cases, the bulge may actually be secondary to accessory breast tissue. When
this situation occurs, the size of the mass may fluctuate with the menstrual
cycle.

The treatment of pre axillary
folds is dependent upon the cause of the condition. Determination of the cause
usually requires pictures and a physical exam. During physical examination
breast tissue will be noted to be firmer and more fibrous than fatty tissue.

When fatty tissue is encountered
in the pre axillary region, liposuction will often provide correction of the
problem. When breast tissue is encountered in this area, more aggressive
procedures are usually necessary. In most cases, surgical resection of the
tissue will prove to be necessary.

If you’re concerned about pre
axillary folds, consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon is
appropriate. This surgeon should be able to formulate a treatment plan that’s
appropriate for your problem.

Jerome Edelstein, MD · Answer

Liposuction can definitely treat this area, and something like ultrasonic is recommended because the area can be quite fibrous. Ultrasonic liposuction is better equipped to break up fibrous fat for easier removal.

	 

	However, due to your size and age, you may also have a bit of excess skin in this area that cannot be improved with liposuction alone.  If this is the case for you, a lift may be required. A lift will remove excess skin and fat to achieve the improvement you want. Please talk to an experienced and certified plastic surgeon for their advice, since it is difficult to say whether the bulges are comprised of fat and/or skin. Good luck!

Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD · Answer

The lateral area of the chest wall posterior to the breasts can indeed be treated with liposuction and will give a good result in most patients. However, the fat is very fibrous so you may need an ultrasonic or power assisted liposuction device to remove the fat. There is also a potential problem with the skin in that it may not shrink down and then excision will be needed to contour this area. As long as you are aware of these points then you can discuss the procedure with your Plastic Surgeon.

John LoMonaco, MD, FACS · Answer

I have found that older individuals with loose skin benefit most from skin excision.   Lipo alone in my experience is good for a small proportion of individuals with good skin tone and small fat deposits.
The other cause for a bulge in that area is accessory breast tissue, which in my opinion needs to be excised if you decide to have soemthing done at all.  It can't be mammogrammed easily (if at all), and like any breast tissue has a risk of developing breast cancer.

David Shafer, MD, FACS · Answer

Yes, liposuction around the breasts and the armpit area is very popular. The procedure can be performed while you are asleep in the operating room or as an office procedure. We have had very nice results through a single 2 mm incision in your armpit crease to remove the bulging. Good luck with your procedure.

William Bruno, MD · Answer

Many women have fullness or bulges in the area between their upper outer breast and armpit area.  Often times this is a combination of breast tissue and fatty tissue.  Liposuction will only work if it's predominantly fatty tissue, as you can't suction out breast tissue. The skin must be of good quality with no stretch marks for this to be effective.  Other times, this area is composed mainly of breast tissue which is firmer and of a more dense tissue- in this case, direct excision(cutting out) may be required. This option leaves a scar which may not be acceptable to some patients.
Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon for an accurate evaluation of this area and a treatment plan.
Best wishes,
Dr. Bruno

David Hansen, MD · Answer

Liposuction does really nice to reduce the fatty deposits that so many women get on the lateral aspects of their breasts and around the arm pit areas. It is done under local anesthesia and with a quick recovery time of 2 days back to work. Cost is roughly $4000 and so worth it.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

This pooch is from fat accumulated in the tail of the breast. Fat around the arm pit area both in the back and in the front likes to hang over the edge of the bra. This does not look great and it can also be irritating. Liposuction can be effective in reducing this volume effect. However, before you have liposuction, consider visiting a department store or speciality foundation store with an experienced sales person who knows something about fitting bras. If is possible with the correct support garment, this problem area will be less of an issue, in which case your reason for considering liposuction will be resolved without surgery.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

Liposuction may help to reduce the bulk of the fullness in the armpit area but it may do very little for the skin redundancy. This may require a resection of skin and fat in that area. Depending on the location of the fullness, the incisions can be placed in a variety of locations. Discuss this with your surgeon.

Can Liposuction Treat Bulge in Breasts to Armpit Area?

Answers (17)

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