Tuberous breasts are a common developmental condition that has a widely variable impact on breast shape. With numerous labels including tuberous breast deformity, tubular breasts, constricted breasts, and herniated areolas, the physical manifestations of varying severity and asymmetry can have a profound effect on breast aesthetics, balance, and self-perception.
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These Tuberous Breast Correction before and after pictures represent actual patients from Dr. Kolker. They will help to assist you in understanding your various options and enable you to set realistic goals for your own surgical outcome. Click on a patient for their specific case details.
“My experience with Dr. Kolker has been nothing short of life changing. Having my breast augmentation and lift procedure has boosted my self-esteem and given me a confidence that I had not felt for years.”
— S.V. / New Jersey
Breast shape, size, symmetry and proportion play a unique role in every woman’s sense of physical balance, femininity, and confidence. Becoming obvious to most women during the earliest phases of puberty and breast development, tuberous breasts can deeply influence psychosocial well-being and sexuality.
While tubular breasts may be deficient in size, they are not simply “small breasts” that have not completely developed. The characteristics of the tuberous breast deformity include breast constriction, breast hypoplasia (small breast size or underdevelopment), breast skin deficiency, malposition of the inframammary fold (the crease beneath the breast), areolar herniation (puffiness or bulging of the nipple-areolar area), and breast asymmetry. Women may have one, several, or all of these anatomic hallmarks. Tuberous breast deformities are widely variable, and often demonstrate considerable discrepancies between both breasts in the same individual resulting in frequent asymmetry.
The plastic surgeon you choose for aesthetic correction of tuberous breast deformity is vital. What differentiates care by Dr. Kolker and his team is comprehensive:
From your first consultation, during the perioperative phase, and throughout the recovery and follow-up period, you will experience the meticulous attention to detail, compassion, and warmth with which Dr. Kolker and his team welcome and care for you. Your first visit is an opportunity for Dr. Kolker to understand your desires, to examine and evaluate physical needs and to thoroughly inform you about the procedure(s) or treatments that will suit you best.
Dr. Kolker’s message to those considering tuberous breast correction
“The art of tuberous breast correction is a multifaceted process. After a meticulous assessment of your physical requirements and a careful understanding of your unique desires, a variety of techniques are applied in concert to achieve the best tuberous breast surgery results. Tuberous breast correction is much more than a breast augmentation; it is a supremely creative and sculptural process that can dramatically improve breast shape, size and symmetry, and can establish a sense of physical balance, emotional well-being and self-confidence.”
Dr. Adam KolkerDr. Kolker’s work published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
With a great interest in advancing both the artistry and science of tuberous breast correction surgery, Dr. Kolker has published a classification and aesthetic technical approach to tubular breast deformity in the article entitled “Tuberous Breast Deformity: Classification and Treatment Strategy for Improving Consistency in Aesthetic Correction” in the January 2015 issue of the peer-reviewed journal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and has lectured on this topic at the annual meeting of the Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons in Washington, DC, September, 2013. Dr. Kolker has also published his work on this type of developmental breast hypoplasia and asymmetry entitled “Tuberous breast deformity: principles and practice.” in the December 2000 issue of the scientific journal, Annals of Plastic Surgery.
Advances in Tuberous Breast Deformity Correction
With extensive experience in the treatment of tuberous breast deformities, Dr. Kolker has had a career-long interest in the developmental anatomy of tuberous breast deformity, and in exploring and improving plastic surgery techniques for the correction of tubular breasts and breast asymmetry. In his article published in the preeminent peer-reviewed plastic surgery journal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Dr. Kolker reviews his classification system, a treatment algorithm, and the technical nuances in plastic surgery for tuberous breast correction, all geared toward maximizing safety and consistency in aesthetic results.
What is the Cause of Tuberous Breasts?
The tuberous breast deformity is a congenital breast anomaly that becomes manifest at the time of puberty and breast development. The exact etiology is unclear. It is theorized that the deformity has an embryologic origin, and while there may be a genetic predisposition, no clear link has been determined with tuberous breasts. Its physical manifestations are attributed to a combination of connective tissue ring-constriction around the areola, and thin or hypoplastic areolar fascial (connective tissue) support. This can result in the puffiness and bulge of the nipple areolar complex. Asymmetry is a common hallmark of tuberous breast deformity, with discrepancies seen in breast volume, shape, areolar size, and breast droop.
Is the Treatment for Tuberous Breasts the same as a Breast Augmentation?
No, there are considerable differences between tuberous breast correction and breast augmentation. Tuberous breast deformity correction is a very specialized procedure that often incorporates breast augmentation when necessary, but requires a variety of nuanced technical maneuvers to achieve the most consistent aesthetic outcomes. The most common problem is that tuberous breast deformity in its milder forms is commonly underappreciated and underdiagnosed. When unrecognized, treating the less obvious variants of the tuberous deformity with more common breast augmentation techniques will often fail to appropriately address the deficiencies and restrictions of the breast lower pole, and may worsen areolar herniation, resulting in a less pleasing breast shape. Moderate and severe forms of tuberous breast deformity require a delicate balance of breast reshaping, areolar balancing, and breast augmentation as indicated by the tubular breast deformity type and individual desires.
With so many different degrees of severity and asymmetry, no two tuberous breast corrections are the same. Each is as different as the individual’s breast shape, body type, and unique goals, and as different as the breast surgeon who performs them. As a double board-certified, Harvard-trained plastic surgeon with a clinical focus on aesthetic breast surgery, and having published and lectured on tuberous breast deformity and methods of treatment, Dr. Kolker has a long-standing interest and specialty in safely achieving consistent and beautiful results with tuberous breast correction.
More Questions?
Dr. Kolker’s website and other web-based resources can be valuable in providing some basic information about tuberous breast deformity correction, however there is no substitute for an in-depth consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who is knowledgeable in the many nuances of tubular breast correction. With vast experience in the treatment of tuberous breasts, Dr. Kolker will help you formulate the best tuberous breast treatment plan and will tailor the breast implant options that are specific to your unique desires. Tuberous breast surgery is a procedure that requires total personalization, technical skill and finesse, anatomical understanding, and aesthetic vision to achieve the most beautiful, balanced, and natural results, and the surgeon you chose absolutely makes a difference. We invite you to schedule a consultation to discuss tuberous breast correction in NYC with Dr. Kolker, and look forward to warmly welcoming you to our practice.
The cornerstone of tuberous breast correction is a clear and careful definition of the specific anatomic issues associated with the breast deformity. The individual issues may include one, several, or all six of the following, and depicted in the diagram below:
The 3 anatomic hallmarks of tuberous breasts are then used to determine the type of tuberous breast deformity:
In selecting the best tuberous breast correction techniques for any type of breast deformity and desire, there are five key components to consider:
These variables in technique are tailored to your specific anatomy and your desires. The following is an algorithm that summarizes the various approaches that can be used:
The specific tuberous breast correction plan will be formulated based on your innate anatomy, tuberous breast features and breast shape, and on your personal preferences. Dr. Kolker will carefully discuss all of these factors with you, and will design the best tuberous breast correction method that is uniquely personalized to achieve your goals.
To schedule a private consultation with Dr. Kolker, please call the office or request an appointment online. We welcome your visit.
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