Dr. Karen Horton has either authored or reviewed and approved this content.
Page Updated:
Tuberous, or tubular shaped breasts can have a significant impact on a woman’s confidence, especially when the condition is significant.1 At our San Francisco Plastic Surgery practice, Dr. Karen Horton offers compassionate care and expert correction of tuberous breast deformity to help patients achieve a more balanced and natural-looking figure. Whether your case is mild or complex, we’ll create a surgical plan tailored to your needs.
The condition known as tubular breasts (also called tuberous breast deformity) is a congenital variation of the normal breast development.2 The term “tuber” means “potato” in Latin; tuberous breasts can be potato-shaped or banana-shaped in some cases.
Tubular breasts lie along a spectrum from very mild unevenness to extreme breast asymmetry or abnormality. Either one or both breasts may be affected. Women with tubular breasts often feel self-conscious or embarrassed to show their breasts to others due to their unusual shape. Correction of tuberous breast deformity can help improve breast appearance, body image, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Common features of tuberous breasts include a relatively small breast size, with a narrow base or a “constricted breast footprint” at the chest, a wide space between the breasts with poor cleavage, a long and tubular breast shape, enlarged, puffy and protruding areolas and moderate droop to the breasts. Often, the breast is not really droopy; instead, there is “pseudoptosis”, or apparent droop as the breast fold is very high on the chest wall, resulting in the breast tissue hanging below this high fold.
Frequently, the fold beneath the affected breast(s) called the “inframammary fold” sits higher than normal, creating further distortion to breast shape and accentuating breast droop. Often, there is a wide upside down triangular shape to the cleavage. See examples of varying degrees of tubular breasts in our tubular breast correction gallery.
Correction of tubular breasts can involve placing a breast implant behind the breast tissue in the subglandular position to fill out the lower pole of the breast and to create a more round and aesthetically pleasing shape to the breast. The areola is also made smaller by way of a periareolar mastopexy, which involves creation of a circular incision to “push back” puffy areola tissue and eliminate the pointy tubular shape behind the nipple. A lollipop scar is often required to avoid stretching of the areola after surgery. In rare cases, an adjustable saline-filled implant is used as a tissue expander prior to final implant placement to assist with expansion of the lower pole of the breast.
In other cases, when there is sufficient breast volume, a local tissue rearrangement called a mastopexy (breast lift) will adequately reshape the breast. An “auto-augmentation” technique helps to create a more round breast and relocate droopy breast tissue higher up on the chest wall. The final scars are the same as for a breast reduction or lift, and an implant is not required.
Correction of tubular breasts is particularly challenging and requires surgical experience in reconstructive surgery of the breast, an aesthetic eye, and necessitates additional surgical techniques to achieve the very best symmetry with a more natural breast shape. Our goal is always to create a beautiful and natural-looking breast result (that looks in most cases like you were born that way!).
A breast implant is often inserted as part of tuberous breast deformity correction. However, breast augmentation alone without addressing the nipple and areola will not always correct a tuberous breast shape, and can actually accentuate deformity if done alone. Additional surgical details are required to normalize the breast shape, particularly at the base of the breast and in the areolar region.
In addition to breast augmentation, proper correction commonly includes some degree of breast lift (mastopexy) to lift the breasts and normalize the size and appearance of the nipple and areola. A “circumareolar” or “periareolar” mastopexy corrects the location, size and shape of the nipple and areola, and an additional vertical scar below the breast (the lollipop scar) avoids areolar expansion and stretching after surgery.
Finally, the inframammary fold is usually lowered to a more anatomic position, and internal constriction of the breast is addressed through internal release (similar to peeling a thick grapefruit rind) to allow the base of the breast to open up and assume a natural teardrop shape.
Good candidates include women who are healthy, in good physical shape, at their ideal or stable body weight, and have relatively small breasts. Many candidates have mild to severe breast asymmetry, enlarged areolas, or hypoplasia (lack of development) of breast tissue. Women may also seek correction to be able to breastfeed or improve overall breast appearance.
Breast augmentation involves placing a breast implant in the subglandular position to enhance the volume of the breast tissue and to create a more balanced appearance to tubular breasts. Even if just one breast is tuberous, both breasts are often augmented for balance and symmetry.
Mastopexy (breast lift) surgery reshapes the breast by rearranging droopy breast tissue, redraping loose breast skin, and lifting the nipples and areolas to a higher and more aesthetic position on the breast. As part of tubular breast correction, a breast lift is vital to normalize an enlarged and protruding areola.
To correct tubular breasts, sometimes a breast augmentation with lift is recommended if there is significant breast droop with a small and tubular breast shape.
In select cases, fat transfer may also be considered to enhance contour and improve lower breast fullness.3
Preparing for surgery is an important part of your treatment journey. During your initial consultation, Dr. Horton will take detailed photographs, perform a physical exam, and discuss your goals and expectations. You’ll also receive specific instructions for lab work, medications to avoid, and pre-op lifestyle recommendations to support healing and reduce the risk of complications.
Patients taking GLP-1 medications must stop these drugs at least one month before any procedure requiring general anesthesia. This precaution helps reduce the risk of surgical complications. For detailed safety information, please refer to Dr. Horton’s blog post on the topic.
Tubular breast correction is performed using precise and individualized techniques tailored to your anatomy. Depending on your needs, Dr. Horton may use breast implants, a lift, or both to reshape the breasts and address tuberous breast deformity. Procedures are performed under general anesthesia and typically take several hours. You will return home the same day to begin recovery with your surgical bra in place.
Most patients need about one to two weeks away from work and social activities, depending on the extent of the procedure. You’ll wear a surgical bra after surgery to support healing and reduce swelling. Discomfort is typically well managed with prescription medication in the first few days. Swelling and bruising are normal and subside gradually over several weeks.
It’s important to follow all postoperative instructions carefully and attend every follow-up visit to monitor healing and results. Avoid strenuous activity, upper body workouts, and lifting for several weeks, as directed by Dr. Horton. Over time, the breasts will settle into their new shape, and final results will become more visible.
Is Tubular Breast Surgery Part of a Mommy Makeover?
Some Moms have tubular breasts that become more deflated after pregnancy and nursing, further accentuating their droop. Tubular breast correction via augmentation and/or lift is a frequent component of a cosmetic surgery Mommy Makeover. Please see our Mommy Makeover section to learn about changes that commonly occur in the breasts, the tummy and other areas of your body after pregnancy, and about breast rejuvenation as a component of a Mommy Makeover!
Is Liposuction Part of Tuberous Breast Correction?
Liposuction may be used to contour the axillary area and address excess fat in the lateral chest. After surgery, a surgical bra is worn to support healing, and additional postoperative garments in the form of an ACE wrap or liposuction compression garment can provide further support and help minimize swelling and nerve discomfort.
What Are Potential Risks and Complications of Tuberous Breast Correction Surgery?
All surgeries carry risk. In tubular breast correction, possible complications include implant-related concerns, herniation of areolar tissue, asymmetry, and connective tissue challenges. Thorough evaluation and follow-up care help reduce these risks.
How Do I Know Whether Tubular Breast Correction is Right For Me?
At your initial consultation, Dr. Horton—a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon—will assess your anatomy, review your goals, and create a personalized plan. Our practice is committed to helping you feel confident in your body through expert cosmetic surgery care.
1 Cleveland Clinic. Tubular Breasts. Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/tubular-breasts. Accessed July 1, 2025.
2 Lozito A, Vinci V, Talerico E, Asselta R, Di Tommaso L, Agnelli B, Klinger M, Klinger F. Review of Tuberous Breast Deformity: Developments over the Last 20 Years. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2022 May 26;10(5):e4355. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004355. PMID: 35702542; PMCID: PMC9187173. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9187173/. Accessed July 1, 2025.
3 Grella R, D’Andrea F, Nicoletti GF, Lanzano G. Tuberous Breast Management: A Review of Literature and Novel Technique Refinements. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open. 2022 Dec 15;10(12):e4708. doi: 10.1097/GOX.0000000000004708. PMID: 36569247; PMCID: PMC9760626. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9760626/. Accessed July 1, 2025.
Dr. Karen Horton has either authored or reviewed and approved this content.
Give us a call or fill out form below to schedule online.
Dr. Karen M. Horton
2100 Webster St., Suite 520
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415.923.3067
We are located in the Pacific Heights District in the Pacific Professional Building.
Monday-Friday: 9am - 5pm
Saturday-Sunday: Closed
Monday:
9 AM to 5 PM
Tuesday:
9 AM to 5 PM
Wednesday:
9 AM to 5 PM
Thursday:
9 AM to 5 PM
Friday:
9 AM to 5 PM
Saturday:
Closed
Sunday:
Closed
Dr. Karen M. Horton
2100 Webster St., Suite 520
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415.923.3067
We are located in the
Pacific Heights District
in the Pacific Professional Building.
SHOP SKIN CARE
*Please note: Our office is no longer a Participating Provider for insurance. We can provide a financial quote for what anticipated surgical fees will be after your consultation.
