All about Breast and Breast Surgery - What you need to know

The female breast in mammals is complex, made up of connective, fatty and glandular tissues. The glandular tissue is made up of lobes and ducts, such as the milk ducts, which help in feeding the young ones. For this reason, the breast is also referred to as mammary glands. The connective tissue supports all the other tissues of the breasts just like in other parts on the body. The fatty tissues are found interlacing or filling the spaces between the connective and glandular tissues. These fatty tissues are the primary determinants of the size of the breast.

As complex as the breasts, are the topics related to it. Every woman wants her breasts to be firm, youthful, of a certain shape and size; while it may not be the case always. Women deal with a lot of concerns and worry regarding their breasts but often do not seek the required help due to the stigma attached to the topic. Women, their breasts and related concerns are topics that need attention and medical help. Some of the common concerns of the breast are

• Breast pain (especially during menstruation, pregnancy, breast feeding and in teenage girls during the onset on puberty)
• Hormonal changes and their impact on the breast
• Firbroadenomas (benign lumps on young women)
• Nipple related issues (such as nipple pain, discharge, inverted nipples)
• Asymmetrical breasts
• Too small or very large breasts

Breast cancer is another area where utmost care, counselling, medical help and aesthetic treatment is required. Breast concerns not only affect females. A small number of the male population too face problems such as enlargement of the breasts (gynecomastia). At Tamira, we address breast related concerns in females and males with top most care, assisted by the latest medical treatments.

Read on to understand breasts and breast related queries or doubts you have always had in mind.

Breasts come in many shapes and sizes

 There is no one perfect size and shape for the breasts. Each one of us have very unique physical features and hence the breasts are unique to each individual. There could be at least 27 different types, shapes and sizes of the breasts. Some of them being, asymmetrical, archetype, athletic, conical, bell-shaped, east-west, slender, round and many more. Mainstream advertising most often depict the breasts as perfect, objectifying and hypersexualizing it. The pressure about whether having the right sized and shaped breasts or not is a silent worry many women carry within themselves. However, breasts are to be understood better to know if your anxieties are reasonable. Many women tend to worry about differences in the shape / size between their breasts, not knowing that slight differences are very common and normal.

Breast size is another important and largely discussed concern. Wondering, if breast size can be altered? While some women have large breasts, some others have very small /light breasts. The size of the breasts can be altered to a minimal extent with certain at-home measures / techniques. To increase the size of the breast, one could try to include food rich in estrogen. Regular massaging of the breast to stimulate the production of prolactin (breast enlarging hormone) can also be tried. To reduce the size of the breast, exercise to strengthen chest, back and shoulder regions such as push-ups, bench press could prove helpful. For significant results to change the appearance of the breasts, one must consult a doctor in order to analyze the root causes for the size and shape of the breasts. Other factors that influence the type of your breasts could be heredity or genetics. It is important to know while you would like to enlarge or reduce the size of the breasts, a lot of hormonal factors must be assessed. To reduce breast fat or to obtain bigger breasts, one must assess the underlying causes with a medical professionals help. This would help you obtain your desired results with the proper medication, diet and exercise and if required through surgical treatment options.

What are breast surgeries?

Breast surgeries are commonly performed for three important outcomes which is breast enlargement, breast reduction or breast reconstruction.

Breast enlargement / breast augmentation

Breast augmentation (mammoplasty) is the surgical treatment that involves surgically increasing the size and shape of the breast. This procedure is usually done on women

• who have had very small breasts
• who have faced changes to the breast post pregnancy and breastfeeding
• who have asymmetrical breasts

Cosmetic breast augmentation is considered as opting for a breast enlargement procedure for aesthetic needs. Breasts are usually enlarged by placing saline or silicone implants. A doctor would have to perform an incision on the breasts, place the implants and close the incision. The recovery would take at least 6 weeks and the patient must take enough rest and look out for any signs of fever or infections. There could possibly be risks associated with the procedure such as concerns with breastfeeding in the future. Procedures done for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes must be considered only after assessing their impacts.

Breast Reduction

 Breast reduction surgeries are considered for various reasons ranging from aesthetics to medical. Some individuals have really large breasts that do not align or fall proportionately to the rest of the body. The weight of the breasts would cause serious concerns such as neck, shoulder, back and body pain. It is also done on men who have issues such as gynecomastia. Breast reduction surgeries are done to reduce the size by removing out excess fat and tissues from the breast. This is a complicated procedure and hence must be done by a qualified medical professional after thorough consultation.

Breast Reconstruction

 Like in the case of breast reduction, breast reconstruction surgery is done for medical as well as cosmetic reasons. Many women opt for a reconstruction surgery after a mastectomy (removal of breast/s) due to cancer. Here a doctor would do an implant surgery (where an implant is placed) or a flap surgery (where the patient’s own tissue is used) or both. One would require ample rest time to recover from the surgery and enough rest.

There are also other procedures such as mastopexy / breast lift which is done to correct sagging breasts(Checkout why do breasts sag, its causes and how to treat it).. Inverted nipple correction, breast asymmetry correction, breast scar correction, nipple enlargement are a few other procedures related to the breasts. Costs, treatment plans and post-procedural care are all different from patient to patient depending on how invasive the technique is. For procedures such as breast reduction, the cost would vary between INR 40K to INR 3 lakhs. The cost of implants would also vary depending on the need of the patient.

Below is a quick look at the most common questions that individuals have about breasts and breast surgeries.

1. What is the shape of the normal breast?

   The shape of the breasts is very unique and could vary largely from each individual to the other. However, in general, a woman’s breasts are most commonly attributed to be pear shaped.

2. What is the normal breast size of a woman?

   Certain resources claim that on average a woman’s breast would be around 327 milliliters (source:worlddata.info). But it is a known fact that the breast size does vary significantly and there is no one right or perfect size.

3. What determines the shape of the breasts?

   The connective tissue supports the breast by giving the shape by holding all the fatty and glandular tissues together. It is the fatty tissues that determine the size of the breast. The more the fatty tissue, the bigger the size would be.

4. Can bras shape the breasts?

   Bras cannot shape the breast. They can be used to keep the breasts firmer and tight but does not influence the shape of the breasts.

5. What is the cost of breast surgeries in India?

   The cost of breast surgeries in India will depend on the type of procedure done and the implants used. The cost could vary between INR 40k and go upwards up to about INR 1.5 lakhs.

6. Is breast enhancement surgery safe?

   Breast enhancement surgeries are done keeping the patient’s safety on high priority. However, the risks and complications relating to the procedure do exists and are thoroughly discussed with the patient. Many individuals would have to do through multiple procedures to obtain the desired result. Some might have to come back for additional procedures depending on how well the implants are performing. Breast enlargement procedures might also cause issues relating to breast feeding in the future and hence all aspects must be discussed with the cosmetologists.

7. How long does a breast surgery take?

   Breast surgeries and the time taken would vary but on an average it could take one to two hours.

8. Does massaging the breasts help them grow?

   Regular massaging of the breast would boost the production of the hormone prolactin. This hormone causes the breast to enlarge and hence individuals could see differences post regular massaging.

9. Dos and don’ts after a breast surgery?

   Ample rest is required after breast surgery. One must avoid strenuous exercise for at least 6 weeks’ post-surgery. The patient must ensure that the upper body gets enough rest.

10. What is the cost of breast enlargements surgery in India?

    Breast enlargement surgeries could cost between INR 40k and go upwards up to about INR 1.5 lakhs.

11. What foods increase breast size?

    Estrogen rich food could help increase breast size. This would include milk and diary, soy milk, nuts (such as cashew, walnuts, peanuts), flax seeds, leafy vegetables, papaya and others.

12. Does the size of the breast increase by pressing it?

    The size of the breast would not be impacted by pressing it. Certain exercises would help in increasing the size of the breasts.

We, at Tamira, give importance to your preferences of aesthetic needs and strive to give the best care. For breast related concerns, treatments and surgical options, you could schedule a consultation with our expert doctors who have been helping patients for years.