Breast Surgery Blog

The Importance of Breasts for a Woman

A woman’s breasts are the best-known symbol of femininity. Small, sagging breasts, emptied by breastfeeding, can cause real discomfort for some women. Not to mention mastectomy, which is generally now followed by breast reconstruction surgery, just so as not to deprive the woman of such an important and symbolic part of her femininity.

Beyond anatomy, the breast is conceived as a symbolic and metaphorical organ with multiple meanings, ranging from breastfeeding, affection and maternal warmth, sexuality and beauty, without neglecting art and costume.

Symbolic aspects that are not without cultural and psychological conditioning. Indeed, they are capable of influencing women both in their relationships with others and with themselves. In addition, the breast is an instrument of seduction and breastfeeding.

The Image of Breasts and its Psychological Impact

Sometimes, the shape and size of the breasts cause discomfort, not because the breasts are ugly in themselves, but because they evoke in the woman’s mind an idea of imperfection. It’s as if women couldn’t find their place in a society where anatomical perfection is becoming increasingly important. The appearance and beauty of the breasts are indeed of profound importance for a woman’s sense of femininity, self-esteem, self-confidence and erotic sensitivity.

Under- or over-developed breasts can evoke a feeling of psychological discomfort and inadequacy with respect to society. So many preconceived ideas that make women uncomfortable with themselves and in their relationships with others.
The breasts thus become for women the true pivot around which the woman’s body image revolves.

A woman identifies with her breasts, whether they are small or large. This is a fundamental aspect that should never be underestimated when dealing with problems such as breast cancer or other pathologies that require a “surgical solution”.
Usually, after an operation, the woman goes through several phases of pain, confusion and reconstruction of her image in the mirror.
The relationship with the partner changes and evolves. The unity with the need for sensuality, the attention and tenderness of the partner, become much more convincing and absolutely essential.

Why is man attracted to women's breasts?

Man establishes a link between a certain form of attachment of the child to the mother’s breast during breastfeeding. For the man, therefore, touching or looking at the breast during sexual intercourse is very stimulating, especially because it polarizes the woman’s attention on him.

When a woman’s nipples are stimulated during breastfeeding, the neurochemical oxytocin, more commonly called the “love hormone”, floods the mother’s brain, helping her to channel her attention and attachment to her baby.

Nipple stimulation during sexual intercourse enhances sexual arousal in the vast majority of women. Oxytocin in the woman’s brain, given by nipple stimulation during sexual intercourse, polarizes the woman’s attention towards her sexual partner. A theory, therefore, which explains the instinctive practice or predisposition of men to constantly look at women’s breasts.
It is clear that instinctively looking at breasts would be a certain predisposition both innate and acquired. It would be biological and completely ingrained in the brains of men.

How to accept the image of your own breasts?

If the woman does not have such obvious flaws to resort to surgery, or if she simply does not want the intervention, acceptance is often a gradual process that occurs naturally as the psychological maturity of the person concerned develops.
Even encounters with the opposite sex contribute to having a good relationship with one’s breasts. An affectionate partner who appreciates the woman helps a lot to accept herself.

Finally, taking care of your clothing choices, choosing clothes that enhance, accentuate or camouflage your figure is not a solution to be neglected. And today, when it comes to shaping attractive lingerie and clothing, you are spoiled for choice.

Breast Surgery: What are the cosmetic surgery options for breasts?

Breast augmentation with implants or prostheses

The shape and size of the breasts can be modified by placing an implant either under the breast tissue or behind the muscle on which the breast rests (pectoral). The breast implant is preferably placed under the muscle, as this makes the upper edge of the implant less visible. If the patient has enough fatty tissue to properly fill the implant, the doctor may consider placing the implant above the muscle. Implants are usually placed through incisions made in the inframammary fold (under the breast). The surgeon can also make incisions around the areolae (peri-areolar) or under the armpit.

Breast lipofilling: breast augmentation by fat injection

By means of liposuction, the surgeon extracts fat from an area of the body to graft it onto the breasts and thus increase their volume with a very natural result. The fat must be alive, like any living tissue transplant. The candidate for breast augmentation by fat injection is a person whose weight is stable and who has an accumulation of fat in areas such as the flanks, abdomen, etc. After the operation, it should be noted that 30 to 50% of the injected fat volume will be reabsorbed.

Breast surgery: breast reduction

Breast reduction is a surgical procedure aimed at reducing the size of the breasts. A specialist in plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery will perform the breast reduction. This operation requires general anesthesia. Breast reduction can be performed for aesthetic reasons, in women who feel that the size of their breasts is not proportionate or harmonious for their body. In many cases, the objective is to obtain breasts that are more proportionate to the rest of the body and to remedy a certain discomfort or inconvenience because the weight of the breasts can cause pain in the neck and back.

Breast surgery and breast reconstruction

Breast reconstruction is a restorative surgical procedure that restores a breast in patients who have undergone a mastectomy. This procedure requires general anesthesia with intravenous induction. Breast reconstruction mainly brings an aesthetic improvement and a significant improvement in the patient’s self-image after breast removal due to a breast tumor. Breast reconstruction is not mandatory, the patient can choose to have it or not. The decision remains personal.

Breast lift

A breast lift is a procedure that repositions the breasts to their natural position. With a breast lift, the breasts are reshaped and the tendency for breasts to sag is corrected, resulting in a more satisfactory volume, also from an aesthetic point of view.

Breast lifts treat sagging or flabby breasts: whether due to gravity, pregnancy, aging or significant weight loss. This can occur for breasts that are more or less large and voluminous.

Breast surgery in men: surgical treatment of gynecomastia

Gynecomastia is an increase in the size of the mammary gland in men. It has a varied etiology, mainly associated with hyperestrogenism, although in many cases it is idiopathic. This anomaly produces an aesthetic deformation that causes psychological alterations in the patient.
If gynecomastia is significant in men, your doctor may recommend surgery.

• This surgery removes fat from the breast but not the mammary gland tissue itself.
• This type of surgery involves removing the mammary gland tissue. Generally, the surgeon uses only small incisions. This less invasive type of surgery involves a shorter recovery time.

How to choose the right implant size for your breasts?

Breast implants are available in a variety of shapes to suit different body types. Three measurements are needed to understand the shape of a round implant. The first is the diameter, which is the width of the implant. The second is the projection or profile of the implant. The profile of an implant measures how far an implant projects outward from the chest wall. The third is the volume. Volume is the amount of space the implant occupies and is measured in cubic centimeters.

For a given volume, low implants have the lowest projection and high implants have the greatest projection from the chest wall. Moderate profile implants project between high and low profile implants. The same concept applies to the diameter of the implant. If the diameters of the implants are the same, the low profile implant will be the least prominent and have the smallest volume, while the high profile implant will be the most prominent and have the largest volume. The medium profile implant is between the two, with moderate projection and volume. To make the best choice, you need to analyze all these parameters with your surgeon.

Cosmetic Breast Surgery: What Happens During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?

Cosmetic Breast Surgery and Pregnancy

Many women wonder what happens during pregnancy to those who have breast surgery, and it is not uncommon for some to abandon the idea of undergoing cosmetic breast surgery because of these fears. It is precisely because of these fears, often unfounded, that it is necessary to consult a professional cosmetic surgeon first.

Indeed, only a doctor will be able to fully answer the many questions and doubts that, rightly, a woman asks before the intervention. Let us specify that there is no contraindication to pregnancy for women who have undergone breast augmentation, for example. During pregnancy, the breast will have its natural development which varies from one woman to another.

There are women who, during pregnancy, have lush and very developed breasts, while others, because of their physical conformation, have smaller and more compact breasts. Placing a breast prosthesis will have no impact on the natural development of the breasts during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding and Breast Surgery

Breast surgery should be performed 6 to 12 months before becoming pregnant. After pregnancy, you can breastfeed normally. For example, if the breast incision is around the areola, there could be complications during breastfeeding.

Caution is also required if you have breast reduction surgery. In this case, during the operation, the doctor may touch the areola and nipple. Indeed, he can move them for an aesthetically perfect and pleasant appearance.

The Results of Your Breast Surgery

Immediately after any cosmetic breast surgery, you will have a dressing or bandages. You will probably take pain medication and antibiotics to reduce the risk of infection.

For the first few days or week after surgery, your breasts will probably be tender and swollen. Your surgeon may recommend a compression bra to protect and keep your breasts in a certain position. Scars usually fade over time.
A successful breast surgery can relieve a woman’s psychological state, but also pain in the upper back, neck and shoulders when a woman undergoes breast reduction.

While the results are immediate, remember that it sometimes takes months for the swelling to completely disappear and for the surgical scars to fade. The final result is generally permanent, although the shape and size of the breasts may change due to factors such as aging and weight gain or loss.