Breast Services in Mankato

If you would like to enhance or enlarge your breasts for a more aesthetic appearance, breast implants may be the solution. We want you to make the best decision for you, which is why our expert team takes the time to listen and answer any questions you have prior to the procedure. Placement of implants is one of the most common plastic surgery procedures.

Aging and childbirth can bring wisdom and happiness to your life — it can also lead to sagging and drooping breasts. We can help restore the youthful appearance of your breast and correct drooping with a breast lift. 

During a breast lift, excess skin is removed and breast tissue is reshaped to restore firmness and raise the breasts and nipples on the chest. Incisions can be made around the darker area surrounding the nipples (areolae), downward to the breast creases and horizontally along the creases.

Oftentimes, women who undergo a procedure to treat their breast cancer, experience a variety of emotions. We understand the one thing you shouldn't feel is ashamed of how your breasts look. That's why Mayo Clinic Health System offers a wide variety of reconstructive options for restoring the breast or improving contour irregularities following surgery. If you had a mastectomy, lumpectomy or radiation, we can give your breasts a more natural look so you can look and feel your best. We invite you to read about breast reconstruction with flap surgery and breast reconstruction with breast implants to learn more about these procedures.

• Tissue expansion – During tissue expansion, a balloon inserted under your chest muscle is gradually filled with saline over a period of several weeks or months. The gradual inflation of the balloon stretches the skin and tissue over your chest to make room for an implant. After the tissue is adequately expanded, your surgeon performs a second surgery to remove the tissue expander and replace it with a permanent implant.

• Pedicle TRAM flap – In a pedicle TRAM flap procedure, the surgeon cuts a section of skin, muscle, fat and blood vessels from your abdomen, tunnels the tissue underneath your skin to its new location, and uses it to form a new breast mound.

• Latissimus dorsi flap – In this flap procedure, the surgeon takes tissue from the latissimus dorsi muscle in your back, tunnels it underneath your skin to its new location and uses it to form a new breast mound.

• Nipple reconstruction – After your breast has healed from reconstruction or mastectomy surgery, a plastic surgeon can reconstruct a new nipple and areola. The surgeon makes a star-shaped incision to form the new nipple and then adds a tattoo to shade in the new areola.

If you experience chronic neck and shoulder pain or skin irritation because you have large, heavy breasts, breast reduction surgery can help and may be covered by your insurance company. 

The typical anchor-shaped incision in breast reduction surgery allows the surgeon to remove excess breast tissue, fat and skin and raise the nipple and areola, as shown on top. After the excess tissue is removed, the surgeon brings the skin underneath the breast together with stitches, as shown at bottom.