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Tuberous Breast Correction Using Structural Fat Grafting

Tuberous breasts are misshapen breasts caused by a congenital abnormality that restricts normal development of the breasts during puberty.

Aspects of tuberous breasts include:

  • Not enough skin or fullness under the areola
  • A large, prominent, or outward-protruding areola
  • Downward-pointing or drooping nipples
  • Breasts that are larger on top than bottom
  • Narrow breasts
  • Breasts that point downward

The condition can affect one or both breasts and can be found in both women and men.

Repairing Tuberous Breasts with Structural Fat Grafting

The process of structural fat grafting can correct tuberous breasts. The procedure harvests fat from one or more areas of your body and grafts it to an area that needs correction.

The repair requires both reshaping and volumizing, placing the fat to enlarge the breast’s lower half while avoiding a more prominent areola.

Is Fat Grafting for Tuberous Breast Correction Right for Me?

Candidates for this procedure include women and men who have tuberous breasts. Structural fat grafting can help resolve issues involved with this condition and is less invasive than traditional surgeries.

Before the Procedure

Before your procedure, you will meet with the surgical team to learn how structural fat grafting can help create a more natural, curved breast shape. Our staff will discuss your medical history and goals with you and will photograph your body to help plan the procedure.

Your surgeon will share a color-coded blueprint that marks where fat will be removed and placed. Our aim is to put together a plan that leaves you with ideal results in both the donor and graft sites, giving you the size and shape you seek.

Procedure Details

On the day of your procedure, we will begin by marking the sites where fat will be harvested and placed with colored pens. You will have final say on where we take fat from. We will use the blueprint we created during your consultation.

Next is the harvesting of fat. Depending on the amount of excess fat you have, we may use one donor site or multiple. Potential donor areas include:

  • Outer thighs
  • Love handles
  • Inner thighs
  • Abdomen
  • Flanks
  • Knees
  • Calves
  • Arms

The surgical team will use a centrifuge to refine and concentrate the fat, removing blood, oil, water, and other unwanted components.

Next, your surgeon will place small amounts of fat at a time through tiny entrance sites to achieve the desired result.

In tuberous breast correction, the goal is to change the proportion of the nipple/areola and the rest of the breast, giving the overall breast more fullness and downsizing the nipple/areola. To accomplish this, we place fat under the skin envelope that surrounds the areola and nipple, causing the outer portion of the breast to expand and the nipple/areola to shrink in proportion.

Sometimes we need to perform more than one procedure to achieve the best result.

Type of Anesthesia

General anesthesia is typically used for this procedure, but local anesthesia with sedation can be used in more minor cases.

Recovery from Structural Fat Grafting

The recovery process from structural fat grafting varies, depending on how much fat is harvested and how many donor sites are used. There will be bruising, swelling, and soreness, especially in the donor sites.

We recommend taking 10 days to two weeks to recover from surgery. You likely will be able to return to normal activity within two to three weeks. Some swelling could linger for up to six months.

Anticipated Results

Fat can be a volatile tissue, but the structural fat grafting method places it with access to a blood supply so it becomes more stable.

The procedure can greatly improve the look of tuberous breasts, making them appear more natural and shapelier. The lower portion will be expanded, and the areola/nipples will look better in proportion than before the surgery.

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