Correction of breast malformations

Congenital malformations of the female breast often develop during puberty. They can occur unilaterally or bilaterally and often lead to considerable psychological stress and feelings of inferiority in the women affected.

In addition to disorders in sexual development, postural defects with long-term orthopaedic disorders can also occur.

Frequently asked questions:

• The most common malformations of the breast:
• The most common malformations of the nipple:
• How are congenital breast malformations treated?
• When is the right time for a correction?

The most common malformations of the breast:

• Amastia: Absence of the breast and nipple.
• Polymastia: Additional breast tissue elsewhere.
• Asymmetry: The breasts are unequal in size. There is a slight inequality for almost every woman. An asymmetry with pathological value is often visible even when the patient is clothed and causes poor posture and back pain. In many of the malformations listed below, asymmetry is also present.
• Tubular breast: Also known as a “tubular breast”. The breast is not round but tubular and the nipples are wider. Glandular tissue is often only present in the upper breast area, the so-called “lower glandular quadrants” are partially or completely absent. In many cases, only one breast is affected, in which case there is also asymmetry.
• Poland syndrome: Complete or partial absence of the breast with simultaneous absence of the large pectoral muscle. The nipple is usually normal. Since Poland syndrome almost always only affects one side, there is also an asymmetry.
• Amazon syndrome: One breast is completely or partially missing. However, the nipple and pectoral muscle are normally developed. As only one side is almost always affected, there is an additional asymmetry.

The most common malformations of the nipple:

• Athelie: The nipple is completely missing. It is possible to surgically create a deceptively real-looking nipple. However, you cannot breastfeed with this nipple. You can find more information under nipple reconstruction.
• Polythelia: There are too many nipples. In this case, however, the wart can be removed without any problems. A small scar remains at this point, which fades over time.
• Inverted nipples: Also called inverted nipples. The wart is retracted and can only be pulled out with difficulty or not at all. Conservative methods such as piercings or nipple shapers often only achieve minor or short-term improvements. During surgical correction, the too-short mammary gland ducts, which are responsible for the retraction in the vast majority of cases, are cut. After this operation, however, this nipple can no longer be used for breastfeeding. Recurrences are rare, but cannot be completely ruled out.

How are congenital breast malformations treated?

In the calm, relaxed atmosphere of our practice in Cham, patients can confide in me in a personal consultation and talk openly about their problems. There are many different forms of female breast malformations. The most appropriate treatment for each individual case will only become clear after a personal consultation and subsequent breast examination. We discuss all the options with the patient and plan the individual course of treatment.

In most cases, breast deformities can be corrected well and permanently by means of shape and size correction, i.e. with a breast lift, augmentation with implants or autologous fat or reduction.

When is the right time for a correction?

As the deformities are very emotionally stressful for the women affected and the development of postural defects must be prevented, the correction should be carried out soon after breast growth is complete. Depending on the findings and the degree of suffering, it may even be advisable in individual cases to correct the deformity as soon as it occurs during puberty in order to allow the girl to develop normally both socially and physically. Nevertheless, it should be noted whether a possible correction could have an influence on the patient’s ability to breastfeed.

Any further questions?

If you have any further questions, please arrange a personal consultation at our practice in Cham.