Breast Surgery
At Gunn Plastic Surgery, we offer a comprehensive range of breast surgery procedures to help you achieve the look you desire. Whether you are looking to enhance, reduce, lift, or reconstruct your breasts, our expert team led by Dr. Laura Gunn is here to provide personalized care and exceptional results.
Our approach combines advanced surgical techniques with a deep understanding of individual needs to ensure you feel confident and satisfied with your outcome. Explore our services below to learn more about the options available to you.
Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammaplasty)
Breast Reduction, also known as Reduction Mammaplasty, is a procedure to remove excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin to achieve a breast size more in proportion with your body and to alleviate the discomfort associated with excessively large breasts (macromastia)
Disproportionately large breasts can cause both physical and emotional distress for patients. Patients with macromastia may experience physical discomfort resulting from the weight of their breasts. The resulting pain can make it challenging for some patients to perform common physical activities. Along with the physical ailments of macromastia, some patients may suffer from emotional distress or more significant mental health problems as a result of their large breasts.
Breast Lift (Mastopexy)
Over the years, factors such as pregnancy, nursing, and the force of gravity take their toll on a woman’s breasts. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag. Breastlifts, or mastopexies, are surgical procedures that raise and reshape sagging breasts–at least, for a time. (No surgery can permanently delay the effects of gravity.)
Breast lift procedures can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. If your breasts are small or have lost volume–for example, after pregnancy–breast lifts with augmentation can increase both their firmness and their size. If you’re considering a breast lift, Talk to Dr. Gunn about the procedure–when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. Please be sure to ask Dr. Gunn if there is anything about the procedure you don’t understand.
A breast lift surgery can enhance your appearance and your self-confidence, but it won’t necessarily change your looks to match your ideal, or cause other people to treat you differently. Before you decide to have surgery, think carefully about your expectations and discuss them with Dr. Gunn.
The best candidates for mastopexy are healthy, emotionally-stable women who are realistic about what the surgery can accomplish. The best results are usually achieved in women with small, sagging breasts. Breasts of any size can be lifted, but the breast lift results may not last as long in heavy breasts.
If you’re considering a breast lift, Plasticsurgery.org will give you a basic understanding of the procedure-when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. Breast lifts can also be performed with a breast augmentation or breast reduction.
Breast Augmentation (Augmentation Mammaplasty)
Breast augmentation, technically known as augmentation mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure to enhance the size and shape of a woman’s breast for a number of reasons:
- To enhance the body contour of a woman who, for personal reasons, feels her breast size is too small.
- To correct a reduction in breast volume after pregnancy.
- To balance a difference in breast size.
- As a reconstructive technique following breast surgery.
By inserting an implant behind each breast, surgeons are able to increase a woman’s bustline by one or more bra cup sizes.
If you’re considering breast augmentation, Plasticsurgery.org will give you a basic understanding of the procedure–when it can help, how it’s performed, and what results you can expect. It can’t answer all of your questions, since a lot depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask Dr. Gunn if there is anything you don’t understand about the procedure.
The method of inserting and positioning your implant will depend on your anatomy and your surgeon’s recommendation. The incision can be made either in the crease where the breast meets the chest, around the areola (the dark skin surrounding the nipple), or in the armpit. Every effort will be made to assure that the incision is placed so resulting scars will be as inconspicuous as possible.
Working through the incision, Dr. Gunn will lift your breast tissue and skin to create a pocket, either directly behind the breast tissue or underneath your chest wall muscle (the pectoral muscle). The implants are then centered beneath your nipples.
Visit the Photo Gallery for images of some of Dr. Gunn’s patients.
Breast Reconstruction
If you’ve decided to have Breast Reconstruction, you’ll still have many things to think about as you and your doctors talk about what type of reconstruction might be best for you. Some of the factors you and your doctors will need to think about when considering your options include:
- Your overall health (including issues that might affect your healing, such as smoking or certain health conditions)
- The size and location of your breast cancer
- Your breast size
- The extent of your breast cancer surgery
- Whether you will need treatments other than surgery for your cancer
- The amount of tissue available (for example, very thin women may not have enough extra tummy tissue to use this area for breast reconstruction)
- Whether you want reconstructive surgery on one or both breasts
- Your desire to match the look of the other breast
- Your insurance coverage and related costs for the unaffected breast
- How quickly you want to be able to recover from surgery
- Your willingness to have potentially more than one surgery as part of the reconstruction
- How different types of reconstructive surgery might affect other parts of your body.
Male Breast Reduction (Gynecomastia)
Gynecomastia, a condition of over-developed or enlarged breasts in men, is common in men of any age. It can be the result of hormonal changes, heredity conditions, disease or the use of certain drugs. Gynecomastia can cause emotional discomfort and impair your self confidence. Some men may even avoid certain physical activities and intimacy simply to hide their condition.
Gynecomastia is characterized by:
- Excess localized fat
- Excess glandular tissue development
- Gynecomastia may be present unilaterally (one breast) or bilaterally (both breasts)
- Sometimes excess breast tissue Is it right for me?
- Gynecomastia surgery is a highly individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else’s desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. This procedure is a good option for you if:
- You are physically healthy and of relatively normal weight
- You have realistic expectations
- Your breast development has stabilized
- You are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too large.
Surgical correction of gynecomastia is best performed on:
- Men whose condition cannot be corrected through alternative medical treatments
- Healthy individuals who do not have a life-threatening illness or medical conditions that can impair healing
- Non-smokers and non-drug users
- Men with a positive outlook and specific goals in mind for improving the physical symptoms of gynecomastia
Dr. Gunn will review your medical history and overall health, and will explain which reconstructive options might be best for you based on your age, health, body type, lifestyle, goals, and other factors. Be sure to voice any concerns and priorities you have for the reconstruction, and find a surgeon you feel comfortable with.
