Breast Augmentation with Areola Reduction

It is well known that pregnancy will change the contours of a woman’s body. A woman may have stretch marks on her abdomen. If she had a cesarean delivery, there may also be a scar from that procedure. The breasts are not immune to changes either. They may also develop stretch marks as a result of growing in size during pregnancy and subsequent breastfeeding. Additionally, the nipple and areola (the area of darkened skin around the nipple) may also become stretched or enlarged as a result of breastfeeding. Of course, all of this is compounded by multiple pregnancies and subsequent breastfeeding.

By the time women are done having and nursing children, they may be dissatisfied with the shape and size of their breasts and areolas. They may miss the more round and full shape their breasts had during pregnancy (particularly if their breasts were normally small in size). This is where Jefferson Plastic Surgery can help women get the shape and size of breasts they desire, along with smaller areolas. This is done by combining a breast augmentation procedure with one to reduce the size and shape of the areolas. In this blog post, the surgeons of Jefferson Plastic Surgery provide an overview of the breast augmentation and areola reduction procedure for our Philadelphia patients.

Breast Augmentation Surgical Procedure

There are three main incision sites to insert breast implants. The most common is through the inframammary crease (the point at which the underside of the breast joins the chest wall), but it can also be done via the armpit (transaxillary) or the areola (periareolar).

The implants can either be placed behind the breast glandular tissue (subglandular) or behind the pectoral muscles (submuscular). The type and size of implants will generally determine which placement is preferable. The surgeon will then create a pocket in either the muscle or the glandular tissue, into which the implant will be placed. Saline implants will be placed first, and then inflated. Silicone implants are already filled, and do not require inflation.

Areola Reduction Surgical Procedure

If a patient wishes to undergo an areola reduction procedure at the same time as breast augmentation, it can be accomplished using a periareolar approach, as the incision pattern for both procedures would be the same. The areola reduction procedure will generally be done after the breast implant has been placed.

To reduce the size of the areola, the surgeon will remove part of it in a circular pattern. This will usually be done from the outside of the areola, so as to hide the incision scars as best as possible. The sutures will connect the new, smaller areola to the surrounding skin. One precaution that surgeons must take when performing these two procedures at the same time is to not use overly large implants, as this may result in the incisions being under too much tension.

There is no question that pregnancy has an effect upon the shape and size of the breasts and the areolas. However, a breast augmentation with an areola reduction may help patients be less self-conscious of their breasts. To find out if you are a good candidate for breast augmentation and areola reduction, contact our practice today.