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Breast Surgery 101: Common Types of Breast Surgery

Breast

11 minute read

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There are many different types of common breast surgeries available, each of which suits a specific purpose. While some types of breast surgeries are chosen for aesthetic purposes, others offer medical benefits.

If you are considering breast surgery, it is important to work with a medical professional to weigh your options and determine the procedure best suited to you and your goals. There is no one-size-fits all breast surgery, and a professional surgeon will work with you to determine your surgery plan.

The plastic surgeons at GraceMed clinics all specialize in specific procedures, and we have surgeons specializing in different breast surgeries.

The latest addition to GraceMed’s Surgical Associate team for one, Dr. Reza MD, FRCSC, specializes in breast enhancement and augmentation. Dr. Rreza provides his patients with the highest level of care by using a combination of advanced surgical techniques and a personalized approach to fit each individual’s unique needs and body type.

Your surgeon can help you decide which treatment best suits your cosmetic or medical goals. Here are the most common types of breast surgery procedures:

Breast Implants / Breast Augmentation

Breast augmentation remains the most common surgical procedure worldwide, with over 1.6 million procedures performed in 2022 according to a statistics report.

Breast augmentation provides tremendous results to help people achieve their aesthetic goals. The procedure involves using breast implants or fat transfer to enhance the breast’s appearance.

Breast augmentation can restore feminine curves after a mastectomy, improve your breasts after a significant life event, such as pregnancy, and help you achieve breast symmetry. Women who get breast augmentation often feel more confident about their appearance.

GraceMed offers breast augmentation in Burlington, Oakville, Mississauga, and Toronto clinics.

How It Works

Once the anesthetic settles in for the breast augmentation, the surgeon will make an incision, insert the breast implant, and close the incisions.

If you’re worried about unsightly scars, discuss your concerns with your surgeon before the procedure. They can make incisions in inconspicuous areas to minimize visible scarring, such as in the armpit or the fold under the breast.

Doctor choosing between two mammary prothesis with her patient

Initial breast augmentation results are immediately visible, but it will take some time for the final results to appear after the swelling subsides and the skin stretches. Follow your surgeon’s post-operative instructions to achieve optimal results and go through a seamless recovery.

Benefits

  • Better breast symmetry
  • More volume and curves
  • More proportional body size
  • Lower cost than fat transfer
  • Low risks

Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation

fat transfer breast augmentation is a surgical procedure where the surgeon takes fat from one part of your body to inject into the breasts. It is a more expensive treatment than implants because it has more steps than inserting implants. If a professional performs the procedure correctly, the results can last a lifetime, making your investment worthwhile.

According to Statistics Canada, women in Canada are more likely to develop breast cancer than any other type of cancer. Many women opt for breast augmentation after mastectomy to restore their breasts. Fat transfer is a safe procedure after a mastectomy that adds volume to the breasts.

How It Works

The first step of a fat transfer breast augmentation is to extract fat using liposuction from a different part of the body. After gathering the fat, the surgeon purifies it and prepares it to inject into the breasts. This will increase the breast size but provide a natural-looking appearance.

Benefits

  • Clothes fit better
  • Natural appearance
  • More proportional body size
  • Fuller and perkier breasts

Doctor marking patient’s chest area to prepare for breast surgery

Breast Lift

Mastopexy, also known as breast lift, is a procedure that raises saggy breasts by changing their size, contour, and position. It addresses the droopiness of the breasts to restore a woman’s aesthetic youthfulness by elevating and tightening the breasts. It can increase confidence and help the individual undergoing surgery gain a positive outlook about their appearance.

How It Works

A breast lift procedure begins by administering anesthesia and determining the incision pattern based on your cosmetic goals. The surgeon lifts underlying breast tissue during the procedure, repositions the nipple and areola, and removes excess breast skin to achieve firm breasts. After these steps, the surgeon closes the incisions and provides post-operative instructions to ensure a seamless recovery.

Benefits

  • It can make you look younger
  • Confidence boost
  • Long-lasting results
  • Only light scarring

Breast Reduction

A breast reduction is usually performed when women experience extreme discomfort that causes chronic shoulder, neck, back or joint pain. The procedure is recommended when the size of the breasts interferes with one’s daily activities.

Some contributing factors for the size of breasts are genetics, pregnancy, and weight gain. Breast reduction allows the surgeon to reshape the breasts to be smaller and more proportionate reducing discomfort in women.

How It Works

For a breast reduction, a surgeon will start by administering general or local anesthesia. The next step is to make incisions, remove tissue, and reposition the breasts. The surgeon will also reduce the areola and reposition the nipples if necessary. The final step involves bringing the incisions together to reshape the now smaller breast.

You will notice post-surgical swelling and feel discomfort after the treatment, but it will reduce over time, allowing you to enjoy the new shape and size of your breasts.

Doctor measuring patient’s breast size with measuring tape

Benefits

  • More proportionate breasts
  • Reduced health risks
  • Increase in confidence
  • Clothes will fit better

Breast Reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is a surgical technique that rebuilds the shape and looks of a breast, most commonly for women who have had surgery to treat breast cancer. The goal of the treatment is to restore any deformities and provide a natural look. There are two ways of reconstructing breasts: prosthetic implants and using your own tissue.

How It Works

The breast reconstruction process is different from breast augmentation, lift, and reconstruction. After administering anesthesia, the surgeon will use flap techniques to reposition a woman’s own tissue to create or cover the breast mound.

The alternative option is to expand tissue to provide coverage for a breast implant. The next step is reconstructing the nipple and areola and using breast revision techniques to complete the procedure.

It will take several weeks for the swelling to decrease and the breast shape and position to improve after breast reconstruction. Make sure to follow your surgeon’s post-surgical instructions and schedule follow-up visits to ensure that you are recovering as planned.

Benefits

  • Increased confidence
  • Two options to choose from
  • Improved sexuality
  • Higher ability to participate in sports

Male Breast Reduction

Men often opt for breast reduction when they develop gynecomastia, a condition of overdevelopment or enlargement of the breast tissue in males caused by an imbalance of estrogen and testosterone.

Gynecomastia usually appears when a teenage boy goes through hormonal changes but occurs at any age. The condition can result from hormonal changes, heredity, obesity or the use of certain drugs.

Although gynecomastia doesn’t pose serious health risks, it can hinder the confidence of many men, which you can solve through surgery. According to a past report in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), persistent breast enlargement negatively affects self-esteem and other areas of mental and emotional health in adolescent males.

Man consulting doctor on a couch, both wearing masks

How It Works

The male breast reduction procedure involves administering anesthesia with incisions around the chest. The surgeon will then remove excess tissue with special instruments or with liposuction. Discuss the issue with your surgeon if you’re concerned about visible scars. Most experienced plastic surgeons can conceal the scar size by incisions in the least visible chest areas.

Benefits

  • Improved confidence
  • Reduced discomfort
  • Long-lasting results
  • Eases physical activity
  • Improved posture

Why People Get Breast Surgery

The availability of the different types of breast surgery procedures allows every individual seeking treatment to choose one that best suits their needs. Here are some common reasons why people get breast surgery.

Corrects Uneven Breasts

Women with asymmetrical breasts due to varying estrogen levels, growth spurts during puberty and other factors may get breast surgery to improve their appearance. Having disproportionate breasts can hinder a woman’s confidence.

Restores Breasts After Major Life Events

Breast reconstruction is a common type of breast surgery that people embrace after encountering a significant life event. Women who have had a mastectomy due to breast cancer, significant weight loss or have seen a change in breast shape following pregnancy are suitable candidates for breast surgery.

Improves Sexual Well-Being

study focusing on satisfaction and quality of life in women who undergo breast surgery found that different types of breast surgery affect women’s sexual lives. The surgery improved satisfaction with sex life, changed the frequency of sex, improved the degree of sensation in breasts, raised confidence to undress in front of partner, and raised feelings of sexual attractiveness.

Clothes Fit Better

Having proportioned breasts can help an individual feel more attractive in their clothes. When a person’s breast size is bigger or smaller than the rest of the body, some clothes may feel tighter or loose, impacting one’s confidence. Breast surgery can improve the proportions and help increase confidence. You can choose from different types of breast implants to determine the kind that makes your body more proportionate or boosts your self-esteem.

Woman wearing pink top posing into the camera with one hand under chin

Enhances Physical Appearance

Breast surgery can enhance a man or woman’s physical appearance. GraceMed surgeons are equipped with the knowledge, experience and resources to provide you with a personalized procedure plan. Choosing from a list of different types of breast surgery procedures allows you to alter your appearance and help you feel better about your body.

Helps Women Look Younger

As women age, they may notice their breasts starting to sag or get smaller. Breast augmentation, lift, or reconstruction helps a person restore their breasts and achieve a youthful look. Removing excess skin and shifting the tissue will make the breasts firmer and more lifted.

Reduces Health Problems

Although many people undergo breast surgery for aesthetic purposes, some opt for treatment to reduce health issues. Extremely large breasts can cause backaches, neck pain, migraine headaches, and numbness in the fingers. Breast reduction surgery can shrink the size of breasts, lowering the risk of health problems and helping a woman feel more confident and healthier.

Boosts Self-Confidence

One of the most incredible benefits of breast surgery is that it can boost confidence among men and women. Whether you’re changing the size or shape of your breasts, many of the different procedures can help patients achieve their aesthetic and medical goals, allowing people to feel happier with their body and physical appearance.

Breast Surgery FAQs

Am I A Suitable Candidate for Breast Surgery?

Whether or not you are a suitable candidate for breast surgery depends on your aesthetic goals. If your breasts are sagging, flattened, asymmetrical, or lacking volume, you may be an ideal candidate for breast augmentation or breast lift. If you’ve undergone a mastectomy due to cancer, you might be able to get breast reconstruction. However, it is essential that all potential candidates are in overall good health and do not consume significant amounts of alcohol or nicotine. Consult one of our specialists to determine if you are a suitable candidate for any of our breast surgery procedures.

What Is the Recovery Time for Breast Surgery?

The recovery time for breast surgery depends on the type of treatment you undergo and your overall health. Here is a general timeline for recovery of some common types of breast surgery:

  • Breast Augmentation: 7 to 10 days.
  • Breast Lift: 7 to 14 days.
  • Breast Reduction: 2 to 6 weeks
  • Breast Reconstruction: 6 to 8 weeks
  • Male Breast Reduction: 4 to 6 weeks

How Do I Find the Right Plastic Surgeon?

Finding the right surgeon is an essential component of your treatment as it determines your results and experience in the process. Take your time to do some research about the plastic surgeons around you, and make sure they are board-certified and have extensive experience in the field. GraceMed’s clinics have handpicked some of the best surgeons in Canada to ensure that our patients have a positive experience and excellent results.

Look for a surgeon whose work you like based on past work samples via before and after photos. Talk to the surgeon and ask every question you have in mind. A good surgeon will address all of your concerns and ensure that you’re comfortable with the process.

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