Removal of Under Arm Breast Tissue
About
Loose skin with fatty breast tissue bulging in front of the armpit is extremely embarrassing. Examples are shown in the Gallery. The fullness sticks out over a bra and revealing clothing can’t be worn at the gym, in the summer and on holiday. Most cover up with a baggy T shirt or blouse. Surgical correction removes fatty breast tissue and any skin excess leaving a scar line obscured in the crease. This is not seen when the arm is by the side and is worth the dramatic improvement.
Consultation
Standing with hands on hips is the best position to view this problem. Assessment is simply by looking at the amount and location of the excess fat, breast tissue and loose skin. The excess fat is removed by liposuction using small incisions hidden at the side. The excess skin and fibrous breast tissue is removed leaving a scar line in the crease. But there is a limit. The scar must not be visible at the front and it must not be so tight as to limit arm movement. Photographs are compared with results of previous patients to get a clear idea of your predicted outcome.
Operation
The areas of fullness are marked and photographed before surgery. It is performed under general anaesthetic and takes about 2 hours. A saline solution containing adrenalin is first injected into the area to reduce bleeding. Liposuction is done via a very small incision at the side to remove the fat bulging in front of and within the armpit. Care is taken not to create hollows or grooves. The remaining loose skin and fibrous breast tissue is then removed using an incision line in the armpit crease where it’s not visible. The loose skin is unfolded, pulled upwards and removed leaving the area smooth. Dissolving stitches are used to close the scar line in the crease and long acting local anaesthetic is injected to control pain.
Recovery
The scar line will take 2 weeks to heal. It can be quite sore so you must rest at home and arrange for domestic tasks to be taken care of. It’s best to wear light loose clothing and shower regularly to keep the area clean. There will be appointments to check your progress at 2 weeks and a follow up at 8 weeks. The scar is initially pink but is not obvious when it fades.
Gallery
Look at photographs of typical results for this procedure
