Breast Implants to Treat Poland’s Syndrome

Year after year, breast augmentation has remained the most often requested cosmetic surgical procedure. In fact, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (the leading professional organization for plastic surgeons), almost 280,000 breast augmentations were performed by its member surgeons just in 2015. As you might expect, the vast majority of such cases are strictly done for aesthetic reasons to enhance the appearance of breasts that are otherwise of normal shape and size.

In some cases, however, a breast augmentation may be required in order to correct for a deformity to the shape and size of the breast, which is considered medically necessary. One good example of such a case is for patients who have a breast deformity due to Poland’s syndrome. Our surgeons at Jefferson Plastic Surgery have treated many such patients with excellent results.

What Is Poland’s Syndrome?

Poland’s Syndrome is a congenital condition affecting the breast tissue, pectoral muscle, and sometimes the upper arm on only one side of the body (the right side is twice as likely to be affected as the left side). In this condition, both the pectoral muscle and the overlaying breast tissue either never fully develop, or are very underdeveloped. The nipple and areola (the area of darkened skin around the nipple) may be unusually high on the breast or be completely absent. There may also be anatomical abnormalities with the sternum and rib cage. Although this condition can occur in either males or females, it is three times more likely to occur in males.

Augmentation Procedure for Treating Poland’s Syndrome

In mild to moderate cases of Poland’s syndrome, the size of the smaller breast can be increased to match the other with use of a breast implant. In most cases, this has been done as a two-step process, in which a tissue expander is first inserted into the cavity where the surgeon will eventually place the breast implant. This expander consists of a saline-filled balloon, which can have more volume added over time in order to stretch out the breast tissue until it reaches the necessary size for the implant. This technique is particularly useful if the surgery is for an adolescent girl whose breasts may have not yet finished growing. If part or all of the actual pectoral muscle is missing, this can be reconstructed using part of the latissimus dorsi muscle from the flank, which is brought around to the front to replace the missing muscle.

Will Insurance Cover the Cost?

Because the breast augmentation in this instance is to correct for congenital deformity, it may be covered under your medical insurance, but only to correct for the breast that is misshapen. However, our staff strongly urges you to check with your insurance company. We will be more than happy to help you gather and fill out any necessary paperwork in order to file a claim with your insurance, if necessary.

Because Poland’s syndrome can interfere with proper movement of the upper arm in some cases, it is an excellent idea to consider surgical correction. Our surgeons can work with you to get the best possible results from your breast augmentation procedure.