Breast Surgery Sydney

Augmentation, reduction, lift and implant removal.

Breast surgery covers augmentation with implants, breast reduction, breast lift and breast implant removal, together with reconstruction after mastectomy. Dr Maryam Seyedabadi, Specialist Plastic Surgeon, MBBS FRACS, is a female surgeon consulting at 2c Heeley Street, Paddington, in Sydney.

Breast size and shape change through life, and they change for different reasons at different stages. For some people the concern begins in early adulthood, for others after pregnancy and breastfeeding, and for others after menopause, weight change or cancer treatment. Some of this work is reconstructive and some of it is cosmetic, and the two are assessed the same way: what is bothering you, what surgery can change, what it cannot, and whether the trade-offs make sense.

Which procedure suits you depends on your existing breast tissue, skin quality, chest width, nipple position and your general health, not on a preference decided in advance. Where volume and position are both concerns, procedures are sometimes combined, and where they are, the operation is longer and carries more variables.

Who breast surgery may suit

• Breasts smaller than you would like, or volume lost after breastfeeding or weight change
• Large breasts contributing to neck, back or shoulder strain, or rash in the fold beneath
• Breasts that have lost firmness and sit lower on the chest than you would like
• Existing implants that are causing symptoms, have ruptured, or that you no longer want
• A noticeable difference in size or shape between the two breasts
• Reconstruction after mastectomy, either alone or combined with other techniques

Breast procedures we offer

Breast Augmentation

Implants placed to change size, shape and fullness, in cosmetic or post-mastectomy reconstructive contexts. Implant volume, profile and position each affect the result. Implants are not lifetime devices and further surgery may be needed over time.

Breast Reduction

Reduction mammoplasty removes excess breast tissue, fat and skin and repositions the nipple, most often sought for physical symptoms rather than appearance alone. Where clinical criteria are met it may attract a Medicare item number.

Breast Lift

Mastopexy raises and reshapes the breast by removing excess skin and moving the nipple higher. It changes position and shape rather than adding volume, and can be combined with implants or fat grafting where upper fullness is wanted.

Breast Implant Removal

Explant surgery, with or without removal of the surrounding capsule, for rupture, capsular contracture, discomfort, or simply because you no longer want implants. It can be combined with a lift or fat transfer.

Recovery

Recovery depends on the procedure and on the individual. The following are general indications only, and Dr Maryam gives you a plan specific to your operation.

• Most breast procedures are day surgery or involve one night in hospital.
• A surgical support bra is typically worn day and night for several weeks, commonly around six.
• Many people return to desk work within about one to two weeks, and to driving once off stronger pain relief.
• Lifting, chest exercise and running are usually deferred for around six weeks, guided by your reviews.
• Oedema settles over weeks to months, shape continues to refine, and scars soften over twelve to eighteen months or longer.

Risks and considerations

All breast surgery carries risk: bleeding, haematoma, infection, delayed wound healing, wound separation where incisions meet, seroma, fat necrosis, asymmetry in breast or nipple position, changes in nipple and skin sensation that can be permanent, unfavourable scarring, and reduced ability to breastfeed. Partial or complete loss of the nipple and areola is uncommon but serious. Anaesthetic complications and clots in the legs or lungs are possible.

Where implants form part of your plan, breast implants are not lifetime devices and further surgery may be needed over time to replace, reposition or remove them. Recognised implant risks include capsular contracture, implant rupture, changes in nipple or skin sensation, rippling, visible implant edges, malposition and, rarely, breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma, written as BIA-ALCL, a cancer of the immune system arising in the capsule around an implant. Implants can make some breast imaging harder to interpret, so mention them when booking a mammogram and continue screening as advised.

Breasts continue to change with pregnancy, weight and ageing after any of these procedures, so results are not fixed in place, and no particular outcome can be promised.

Your consultation with Dr Maryam

In Australia a referral is required before a consultation for cosmetic surgery, and a referral from your usual GP is preferred because it gives Dr Maryam your medical background. A cooling-off period of at least seven days applies between giving informed consent and surgery, and at least three months for patients under 18, who also require assessment by an appropriate registered health practitioner.

Dr Maryam examines and measures you, takes planning photographs, may request breast imaging depending on your age and history, and goes through the risks, the likely scar pattern and the alternatives, including doing nothing, before you decide. Fees are quoted after your consultation. Some reconstructive procedures may attract a Medicare item number, while purely cosmetic surgery does not. She operates at St Luke’s Hospital in Potts Point, East Sydney Private Hospital, Sydney Day Hospital and Double Bay Day Hospital. Call 1300 067 668 to arrange an appointment.