Do I have tuberous breasts/hypoplasia? Moving forward with breast augmentation and want to make the right choice.34 y/o

From your photos, it appears to me that you have a variation of tuberous breasts, that includes a tight skin shortage on the underside of the breasts (worse on your left) preventing a normal curve there, and a relatively narrow distribution of breast tissue centered behind the areolae. Such breasts often are tubular or cylindrical shaped, and there is often a noticeable difference in size and shape between the two breasts. Surgery may include placement of breast implants, lifting of the nipple/areolar complex, and actual reshaping of your breast glandular tissue to create a more symmetrical, rounded appearance.

Your breasts are asymmetrical in volume, shape and position. You will need a lift. On the larger breast, I recommend The Bellesoma Method. This will reshape your breast tissue creating upper pole fullness without implants, elevate them higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. Vertical scars are avoided, nipple sensation (in 95%) and the ability to breast feed are maintained. On the smaller breast, I recommend a mini lift. Using a circumareola incision, your breast tissue is reshaped, elevated higher on the chest wall and more medial to increase your cleavage. At the same time, fat transfers can be performed on the smaller breast to match the larger breast.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Unfortunately, surgeons have created the term tuberous breasts, a fact which causes unnecessary concerns for women. Many women just have different sizes and shapes and in my opinion shouldn't be labeled. I recommend an in person consultation with a plastic surgeon to discuss your goals and be measured. After I measure and discuss goals with my patients, we then look at pictures of women (my patients) with similar measurements. They also get to see what they would look like when the breasts have fully dropped and fluffed and in clothes. You get to see actual results and the surgeon's experience and not a virtual idea of what can be achieved. Women tell me that this process is very helpful in determining what is right for them. Dr. Ted Eisenberg, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and Author. RealSelf Distinguished Hall of Fame Inductee. Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Both of your breasts are narrow and tuberous like, one more than the other. The way to change the existing shape is with surgery to expand narrow breast shape. Due to discrepancy in size, I would consider reduction of the larger breast to avoid long term problems with asymmetry and ptosis. Once shape of both breasts is changed, symmetry of areaola size and position (lift) achieved, breasts should be augmented with implants. In person consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon whith experience in tuberous breast treatment, is recommended.

Thank you for your question and photos. An examination in person would be required to properly evaluate you and make specific treatment recommendations. That said, however, from your photos it appears that your smaller left breast has elements of a tuberous breast deformity with a constricted lower pole and slight herniation beneath the the areola. You need to decide what bothers you versus what doesn’t bother you. The shape of the breast is more altered by a mastopexy (breast lift or tightening) which can address some of the sagging and the areolar herniation. An asymmetric breast augmentation would help achieve a size increase and complete the aesthetic enhancement you are seeking.

Please consult with an experienced board certified plastic surgeon whose results appeal to you based on his or her Before and After gallery. If you have doubts or concerns after your first consultation consider a second opinion. While there are no guarantees of a complication free optimal result, you want to definitely be as confident as possible with your surgeon and his or her office staff before scheduling g your surgery. Best of luck to you.

Dear Junipercypress,
tuberous breasts are not simply small or underdeveloped breasts. The appearance of the breast can range from mild to severe, and typical traits include: enlarged, puffy areola, rather wide spacing between the breasts, very little breast tissue, sagging, higher than normal inferior breast fold, and narrow base at the chest wall.The type of surgery best for you will depend on the severity of your condition.My preferred technique for tuberous breast correction involves a multistep procedure where the breast tissue is released in a radial pattern to prevent herniation into the areola and placement of a custom implant size is in the breast to allow appropriate expansion of the breast in the restricted dimensions. This can often be done in a single procedure but sometimes may require two surgeries.That said, it is best that you visit a board-certified plastic surgeon for an in person examination. Only after a thorough examination you will get more information and recommendations.
Daniel Barrett, MD
Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Hello, thank you for your question. A breast augmentation will not change the shape of your natural breast tissue, it will just increase the size. A breast reshaping will change the shape. Speak to your plastic surgeon in going over your options and seeing if this is indicated or not. For more information please feel free to check our website for some before and afters.

Your larger breast is not tuberous, but does sag. Your smaller breast has some mild signs of being tuberous. An augmentation with a lift on the larger breast would look nice. Remember, your breasts are sisters, not identical twins, and may not be exactly alike once finished, but can be much closer in size and shape.

Your breasts do show constriction and asymmetry. The augmentation will provide more volume. You can consider a lift of the larger breast as well as either reducing the larger breast to better match the smaller, or using two differently sized implants to give better symmetry. You should have significant improvement from these procedures. See a board certified plastic surgeon near you to learn more.

Yes you do. And it is more pronounced on your let but you would benefit from a mastopexy augmentation-- a breast lift with implants--that will help improve your shape, give you more cleavage, more upper pole fullness of the breast, and reduce the size of your areolae. Watch this video below for a better explanation.