Achieving symmetry of the reconstructed breast

The human body is one of near perfect bilateral anatomical symmetry. Often we all easily compare and contrast differences between one hand and the other, both in their appearance as well as their function. This also is true with breast reconstruction. While one breast is reconstructed, the opposite unaffected breast may be changed to match the reconstructed side. The goals of any symmetry procedure are to perfectly match bilateral breast size, shape, projection, and nipple-areolar position. The unaffected breast may be enlarged, reduced, or lifted to recreate the near perfect breast symmetry. We will discuss the indications and techniques of breast symmetry procedures after breast reconstruction.