Can Breast Asymmetry Be Corrected in Cosmetic Surgery?

Breast asymmetry, or breast size discrepancy, is actually quite common. Many women exhibit minor asymmetry, while others may exhibit a full cup size difference or more.

In severe cases, the discrepancy can cause difficulty finding the right bra. Women affected by this may also be self-conscious about during intimate situations.

A study now available from the European Journal of Plastic Surgery sheds some light on this common condition by reviewing the details of over 300 breast augmentation patients and the prevalence of breast and chest asymmetry among that group.

The author, Umar Daraz Khan, found that breasts were symmetrical in only 53.5% of the cases, and the left breast was more often larger than the right breast.  Because the asymmetry often stems from a chest wall deformity, the author measured for that as well, finding “thoracic deformities or asymmetries” in over 8% of the patients. Of the 312 breast augmentation patients treated, the doctor used different sized breast implants in 9% of them.

American aesthetic surgeons have also offered public commentary on this relatively common occurrence. New York plastic surgeon Tracy Pfeifer writes about correcting breast asymmetry on her website saying, “[Breast asymmetry] is a congenital anomaly and the patient should understand that it is easily corrected. The degree of asymmetry does not matter; if it causes the patient psychological distress, she should consider correction.”

Dr. Pfeifer also mentions that many women don’t know their condition is caused by a rib abnormality. “This has to pointed out to the patient and the solution is to use a slightly larger implant on the unaffected side,” she says.