A balanced equation: breast size and cleavage

It goes without saying that all surgical procedures carry risks. It is also worth adding that many of these risks can be corrected. One of them is symmastia, also known as “uni-boob.” A strange word, isn’t it? First, let’s define it: symmastia is the loss of the intermammary fold, commonly referred to as “cleavage.”

It may be congenital, meaning present from birth, but it most commonly appears (or rather, disappears) after a breast augmentation procedure. This may occur as a result of a surgical error during the operation (for example, incorrect dissection of the implant pocket, the cavity where the breast implant is placed), or when the specialist—often due to the patient’s insistence—uses breast implants that are too large.

This is when the implants shift toward the center of the chest, causing the breasts to become joined together. It is true that the patient may separate them by sliding a finger between the breasts along the sternum, but they will immediately return to their original position.

Although the deformity may be minor in some cases, more severe cases can involve displacement of the nipples and areolas toward the outer sides of the breasts. The result is the appearance of a single solid mass of breast tissue without a clearly defined separation.

It should be noted that implant migration is the least common of all cosmetic breast augmentation complications, and it is more frequently seen in women who have undergone more than one breast augmentation procedure.

The structure of the anatomical tissue and musculature also plays a role. Women who are more prone to developing symmastia include those with pectus excavatum (a congenital condition in which the chest is sunken) and thin women (who generally have less tissue and/or fat covering the sternum).

So, what should be done if symmastia occurs?

As a temporary solution, the patient may wear a special bra designed to separate the breasts. However, we all know that a temporary solution is not a permanent one. Therefore, the most appropriate option is to undergo secondary cosmetic surgery, during which the plastic surgeon will create a new intermammary fold.

If you would like more information, contact our team at Clínicas Fernández Blanco, or call +34 915 54 09 24 (Madrid) or +34 952 850 468 (Marbella, Málaga).