20 Jun 2024 | by Dr. Sean Doherty
When it comes to a breast augmentation, social media tends to focus on almost exclusively on breast size. And yes, breast implants can be a great option for increasing breast volume. However, many patients don’t realize that it can also be ideal for improving the shape of your breasts. Furthermore, it is often the latter that may be causing a dissatisfaction with the appearance of your breasts. While both breast size and shape can change due to pregnancy, weight gain/loss and menopause, for example, some women are actually born with breasts that are not round. Tuberous breasts, often referred to as “Snoopy” breasts, are conical in shape and point downwards. Since they manifest during puberty due to a lack of breast development, tuberous breasts tend to cause considerable emotional distress for my Boston area patients. But the good news is that a surgical breast procedure can improve the appearance of tuberous breasts.
Do You Have Tuberous Breasts?
If you aren’t happy with the size and shape of your breasts, the first step is to schedule an in-person consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, such as myself, with considerable breast surgery experience. Figuring out whether or not you have tuberous breasts is going to require a physical exam. Some of the conditions that I look for when diagnosing tuberous breasts include:
- Wide gap between the breasts exceeding 1.5”
- Breasts that lack volume and droop
- Narrow base to the breasts
- Areolas that are too large
- Nipples that point down towards the ground
- Extreme lack of symmetry between the two breasts
- Shorter than average distance between the nipple and inframammary fold
While many of my 20 something year old tuberous breast patients know that this is their issue, some older patients are not aware. Regardless, this is not something that you need to live with if you don’t want.
Treatment Options to Improve Tuberous Breasts in Boston
My top treatment option for improving the appearance of tuberous breasts is a breast augmentation. A properly selected size and shape breast implant gives me the most control when it comes to improving your breast shape. Furthermore, since some patients only have one tuberous breast, this allows me to restore symmetry. I may also combine your breast augmentation with fat grafting to the breast. The latter is a procedure in which we remove fat from an area where you have too much and place it into the breast. I like this best as an addendum to a breast implant in order to increase volume and stretch out the tight tissue in the lower pole. Some patients, however, don’t like the idea of placing a foreign device in the body. Fat grafting for tuberous breasts could be a stand-alone procedure, but it’s important to keep in mind that the results are not as robust or predictable as what we can achieve with a breast implant.
To find out more about a breast augmentation, fat grafting to the breast, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Sean Doherty at his Boston or Brookline office, contact us today or call (617) 450-0070 to schedule a consultation.
