Year after year, breast augmentation reigns at the top of the list of cosmetic surgical procedures in the United States, as there were nearly 300,000 procedures in 2022 alone. And a little less than half that number of people — around 143,000 — underwent a breast lift.
While these boob jobs are geared toward achieving a certain aesthetic, there are certainly other, more practical and health-oriented reasons why people come to us for breast surgery.
At McHugh Plastic Surgery, Dr. Thomas McHugh is an expert in breast surgery, and he’s often called on to help patients address noncosmetic concerns, a few of which we review below.
About 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and some women carry higher risks, such as having a certain genetic mutation or having a strong family history of the disease. In fact, if your mother or sister has a breast cancer diagnosis, your risks for the disease are doubled.
Some women with very high risks have opted to take preventive action and undergo a mastectomy, even if there is no cancer diagnosis.
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, your oncology team will likely want to remove the cancer surgically, whether through a full mastectomy or a lumpectomy.
After treatment for breast cancer, many women choose to reconstruct their breasts, which likely involves a breast augmentation procedure. Women can often choose at the time of the breast cancer surgery to have expanders placed in the chest that create space for future implants.
Afterward, we’re happy to work with your oncology team to organize the breast reconstruction.
As part of our breast surgery services, we offer breast reduction for women who are dealing with overly large breasts. Being top heavy can have plenty of downsides, such as:
Some of the challenges can be more practical — you simply can’t find clothes and bras that fit.
Another reason why people opt for breast surgery is to transition to the gender they feel they are. Whether removing or adding breasts, these breast surgeries are designed to make the outside match the person on the inside.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons why people undergo breast surgery and not all of them are tied to filling out a bikini top.
Whatever your goals, you’re in excellent hands with Dr. McHugh, who has decades of experience performing breast surgeries and meeting most every goal.
To learn more about your options in breast surgery, please contact our office in The Woodlands, Texas, to schedule a consultation.
