Breast Reduction Liposuction for Breast Asymmetry After Breast Cancer Surgery
In consultations, I often hear patients say, "My breast cancer treatment went well, but the treated breast became smaller, and now my two breasts are very different in size." Every time they choose underwear, or stand in front of the mirror after getting dressed, they notice that their figure looks lopsided, and they say the larger breast alone feels heavy and uncomfortable. Many also tell me that, having just come through such a major treatment, they found it hard to bring up the asymmetry that remained afterward.
Today I would like to talk about breast reduction liposuction, which addresses breast asymmetry after breast cancer surgery by reducing the opposite, untreated breast with liposuction so that the two sides come as close to a similar size as possible. I will explain how the size is matched, what papers and textbooks have reported about breast liposuction, and where its limits lie.
Why Breast Asymmetry Develops After Breast Cancer Surgery
Breast cancer surgery involves removing part, or a substantial portion, of the tissue in the affected breast. As a result, after surgery the treated breast often differs from the other side in size and shape. The untreated breast keeps its original size, so the two sides end up differing in both size and height.
Differences Around the Armpit Also Develop
Breast cancer surgery often includes surgery in the armpit area as well as the breast. So on the treated side, not only the volume of the breast itself but also the contour toward the armpit has changed, while on the opposite side the volume of the breast, the accessory breast, the armpit, and the side of the chest next to the breast all remain as they were. This is why the difference shows not only in the breast size seen from the front, but also in the contour visible when the arm is raised or when viewed from the side.
| Category | Treated side | Untreated opposite side |
|---|---|---|
| Breast volume | Often smaller or changed in shape due to surgery | Original size |
| Armpit and accessory breast area | Contour has changed if armpit surgery was also performed | Volume of the accessory breast, armpit, and side of the chest remains |
The Principle: Reducing the Opposite Breast to Match the Size
There are broadly two ways to correct breast asymmetry: enlarge the smaller side or reduce the larger side. For asymmetry after breast cancer surgery, we at Venus Clinic use the approach of reducing the larger, untreated breast with liposuction to bring it closer to the treated side. The treated breast is left as it is, and the fat inside the opposite breast is suctioned to reduce its size.
Breast Liposuction as Reported in Textbooks and Papers
Reducing breast size with liposuction has been studied for a long time. Shiffman's liposuction textbook, Liposuction: Principles and Practice, also describes how tumescent breast liposuction can be used to make two breasts of different sizes more similar. In addition, Gray's report on breast reduction using liposuction alone (Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2001) described an average reduction of about two cup sizes, with the skin contracting to match the reduced volume, while nipple sensation and breastfeeding function could be preserved.
In Di Giuseppe's study, the character of the breast tissue was checked by mammography before surgery, and ultrasound-assisted liposuction was performed on breasts with a high fat content. Because what breast liposuction can reduce is the fat within the breast, this means that the higher the proportion of fat in the breast, the better suited it is for size reduction.
Size Reduction from Breast Liposuction Reported in Papers
Reported reductions include 30-50% (Klein, 2000), an average of 2 cup sizes (Gray, 2001), 3 cup sizes (Di Giuseppe, 2003), and about 51% and 43% (Habbema, 2009). However, the breast contains glandular tissue that liposuction cannot reduce, so a reduction of more than 50% is difficult, and the degree of reduction varies from person to person depending on the proportion of glandular tissue.
Within the Reduced Side, the Fat Layer Is Left Evenly
At Venus Clinic, our principle in liposuction is not to suction the left and right sides differently, but to consistently leave the remaining fat layer at the same thickness. Correcting breast asymmetry is an exception to this principle, because the size difference between the two sides has to be matched. Even so, within the breast being reduced, the basic rule is to leave the remaining fat layer even. This is because liposuction is not surgery that removes as much fat as possible, but surgery that leaves fat well. When suction is performed evenly up to the superficial layer, skin contraction is encouraged as the size decreases, so an improvement in the shape of a sagging breast can also be expected.
A Surgical Plan That Reduces the Breast and the Surrounding Areas Together
Breast asymmetry after breast cancer surgery is not only a difference in the size of the breast itself, so the surgical plan looks not just at the breast alone but at the surrounding contour as well.
Refining the Accessory Breast, Armpit, and Side of the Chest Together
Liposuction can reduce fat not only in the breast but also in the tissues around it, such as the accessory breast, the armpit, and the side of the chest next to the breast. If only the opposite breast is reduced, the volume remaining toward the armpit can stand out and actually look awkward; when the breast and surrounding areas are reduced as one continuous contour, the boundary with the surrounding area looks natural. In this way, reducing the breast together with the surrounding areas to sufficiently lessen the size difference is how we bring the shape closer to that of the treated side. Which areas to refine together is decided after an examination, based on the body shape and the difference between the two sides.
Please Consult Your Treating Physician First
The physician who is in charge of your breast cancer treatment knows best about the course of your treatment and your future screening schedule. It is best to decide on the timing of surgery after consulting your treating physician. Please continue with your scheduled regular check-ups after surgery, and when you have imaging tests, letting the staff know that you have had breast liposuction will help with interpretation.
One Week After Surgery: Bruising and Discoloration Fade Over Time
After liposuction, bruising and swelling develop in the treated area. Around one week after surgery, bruises that were red or purple turn yellow as they fade, so the skin may look yellowish, as in the photos below. This discoloration fades over time, and as the swelling gradually subsides, the shape changes a little further. The speed of recovery varies from person to person.
Not Identical, but as Close to a Similar Size as Possible
It is very difficult to make both breasts exactly the same in size and shape. If the opposite breast has a high proportion of glandular tissue, there is a limit to how much liposuction can reduce it, and as mentioned above, reducing it by more than 50% is difficult. Also, liposuction of the opposite breast does not change the scar or the shape of the treated breast itself. So it is more accurate to understand this surgery not as one that makes both sides completely identical, but as surgery that lessens a noticeable size difference to bring the two sides as close to a similar size as possible.
Size May Change If Your Weight Changes
Even though liposuction reduces the number of fat cells, the remaining fat cells can grow larger again if you gain weight. The breast is an area with a lot of fat, so if you gain weight after surgery, the reduced breast may grow larger too, and the change may appear differently on each side. Managing your weight consistently after surgery helps maintain the balance that was achieved for a long time.
Advantages of Breast Reduction Liposuction
No Long Incision Lines
Because the surgery is done by inserting a cannula through small incisions a few millimeters in size, no long incision lines are left around the breast or the areola. The incisions are placed in inconspicuous spots, such as the armpit crease or the fold beneath the breast, and most of them fade over time. For those who already have a surgical scar on one breast, it matters that no new large scar is added to the other side.
The Nipple Is Not Moved, and the Breast Is Reduced in Its Original Shape
Because the method suctions fat from inside the breast, there is no step of cutting out and relocating the nipple. As a result, there is less concern about reduced nipple sensation, and the breast becomes smaller while keeping its own original form, so it looks natural rather than being changed into a new shape.
A Suitable Surgery for Correcting Breast Asymmetry
Because the surrounding contour, including the breast, accessory breast, armpit, and side of the chest, can be reduced together, a natural shape can be expected not only from the front but also when the arm is raised and in profile. Relatively quick recovery and aftercare that is not difficult are further advantages. For these reasons, I consider breast reduction liposuction a good option for bringing breast asymmetry after breast cancer surgery as close to a similar size as possible.
Before-and-After Photos
The three photos below show one patient who had breast reduction liposuction at Venus Clinic, taken from the front, oblique, and side views. To match the right breast, which had become smaller after breast cancer surgery, the opposite left breast was reduced with liposuction. All post-operative photos were taken one week after surgery. Swelling and bruising are still present at this stage, so these are not the final results, and the yellowish discoloration fades over time.
Front View
This is a case in which the right breast became smaller after breast cancer surgery. Before surgery, the left breast was larger than the right and hung lower, so the difference in size and height between the two sides was clear. In the photo taken one week after reducing the left breast with liposuction, the left breast has become smaller and the difference between the two sides appears reduced. The yellow discoloration on the left breast is bruising in the process of fading.
| Information on the Posted Liposuction Before-and-After Photos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| - Same person | Surgery performed at Venus Clinic; same person | - Date taken | Taken around 2026; comparison at 1 week after surgery |
| - Same conditions | Edited to the same posture and size as closely as possible | - Side effects | https://en.myvenus.co.kr/should_know/38861 |
Oblique View
This is a case in which the right breast became smaller after breast cancer surgery. Seen from an oblique angle, before surgery the left breast was larger than the right and sagged lower. One week after surgery, the volume of the left breast has decreased, and the size difference between the two sides can be seen to have lessened. Some swelling remains, so the shape will change a little further over time.
| Information on the Posted Liposuction Before-and-After Photos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| - Same person | Surgery performed at Venus Clinic; same person | - Date taken | Taken around 2026; comparison at 1 week after surgery |
| - Same conditions | Edited to the same posture and size as closely as possible | - Side effects | https://en.myvenus.co.kr/should_know/38861 |
Side View
This is a case in which the right breast became smaller after breast cancer surgery. In this side photo taken from the right, before surgery the left breast was clearly visible behind the right breast, protruding forward and downward. One week after surgery, the protrusion of the left breast has decreased, and the difference between the two sides seen from the side appears reduced.
| Information on the Posted Liposuction Before-and-After Photos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| - Same person | Surgery performed at Venus Clinic; same person | - Date taken | Taken around 2026; comparison at 1 week after surgery |
| - Same conditions | Edited to the same posture and size as closely as possible | - Side effects | https://en.myvenus.co.kr/should_know/38861 |
In Closing
In correcting breast asymmetry after breast cancer surgery, what matters most is not "how much is reduced" but "how much the difference between the two sides is lessened." At Venus Clinic, we reduce the untreated breast together with its surrounding areas while leaving the remaining fat layer even, bringing it as close as possible to a size similar to the treated side. I believe the goal of this surgery is to help those who have completed major treatment feel comfortable again getting dressed and standing in front of the mirror.
Dr. Hakjun Kim, Director, Venus Clinic
