Breast Surgery in India

Breast surgery in India is economical relative to most other countries. India has some of the most technologically advanced hospitals for breast surgery.

If you are seeking breast surgery for cosmetic reasons or a medical condition, you can avail services and benefits at affordable prices here without compromise on the quality of care.

About 51,000 breast augmentation surgeries were performed in India in 2010 as reported in Business today.^[1]Business today
Improving asset quality” According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), there were 51,000 breast augmentations in India in 2010, ranking it seventh in the world.”
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Also, India ranks 4 in the world attracting foreigners for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery as per Business Standard^[2]Business Standard
Breast Surgery
“Also, India ranks 4 in the world attracting foreigners for Cosmetic Plastic Surgery as per…”
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Average Cost of Breast Surgery in India

India can be a relief for cosmetic Breast surgery aspirants and Breast cancer Surgery patients as you can avail the services and benefits at a low cost without compromise on the quality of care offered.

You can save more than 50%-60% in India for Breast Surgery compared to developed countries for the charges related to operating room fees, laboratory tests, nursing, facility staff fees, the anesthesiologist, medications, and surgical supplies. However, the cost of Breast Surgery can vary depending upon factors like the type of breast surgery, kind of breast implants used, surgical options you may need based on tumors or other specific needs.

Costs mentioned in the table below usually include charges for the room (for the recommended no. of days), surgeon, O.T., anesthesia, DVT pump, implants, and tests related to the procedure. This may include transportation services from the airport to the hotel/hospital & a comprehensive medical report. The cost may vary due to many other factors depending on whether you choose a single occupancy or a sharing room.

Cost Comparison – Breast Surgery in India Vs. Abroad (USD)

BREAST SURGERY	India	USA	Canada	Australia
Breast lumpectomy	2,850	5,741	4,505	5,000
Modified Radical Mastectomy	8,150	13,000	5,392	7,349
Total Mastectomy	8095	11,980	8,223	15,000
Mastectomy + Flap Reconstruction (FR)	8,320	36,000	8,223	10,000
Breast Conservation surgery + FR	7,690	24,1491	8,225	10,000
Breast Augmentation (Including Implants)	3,350	3,824	9,000	9,000
Breast Reduction	3,400	5,680	5,500	10,900
Breast Lift	3,800	4,816	47,500	11,900
Male Breast Reduction Surgery	2,700	18,000	16,000	6,900

*These are avg. Costs in USD. Costs mentioned in the table usually include charges for the room (for the recommended no. of days), surgeon, O.T., anesthesia, DVT pump, implants, and tests related to the breast surgery.  This may include transportation services from the airport to the hotel/hospital & a comprehensive medical report. The cost may vary due to many other factors depending on whether you choose a single occupancy or a sharing room.

Top Breast surgery hospitals in India :

• Artemis Hospital – Delhi (NCR) India. Artemis is one of the state-of-the-art multi-speciality hospitals located in Gurgaon, India, providing a depth of expertise in advanced medical & surgical interventions.
• Indraprastha Apollo Hospital – New Delhi, Chennai, India. Indraprastha Apollo Hospital is one of the best multi-speciality tertiary care hospitals, offering 700 beds in India. It is one of the most favoured destinations in SAARC region for Breast Surgery.
• Fortis Group of Hospitals – Delhi, Chandigarh. Fortis Healthcare Limited comprises hospitals, diagnostics, and day care specialty facilities. They are one of the leading service providers for Breast Surgery in India.

You can save more than 50%-60% in India for breast surgery compared to developed countries for the charges related to operating room fees, laboratory tests, nursing, facility staff fees, the anesthesiologist, medications, and surgical supplies.  However, the cost of breast surgery can vary depending upon factors like the type of breast surgery, kind of breast implants used, surgical options you may need based on tumors or other specific needs.

Types of Breast Surgery

Breast surgery is a surgical intervention, which is commonly divided into three general categories :-

Breast Augmentation or Augmentation Mammoplasty

Breast Augmentation Surgery is performed to enhance the volume, appearance, and contour of your breasts. This is one of the most common plastic surgeries performed around the world. 

Breast Augmentation Surgery can help your self-confidence if : 

• you have smaller breasts
• you  have lost breast volume due to weight loss
• want to achieve a rounded breast shape or improve breast size asymmetry

For severely sagging breasts, Breast Lift may be required along with a Breast Augmentation. Your plastic surgeon will decide the surgery required to make the breast fuller. 

To increase the volume, breast implants are used or the surgery for fat transfer is performed.

Two most common types of Breast Implants :

Saline Breast implants	Silicone Breast implants
Filled with sterile salt water.	Filled with silicone gel.
If the implant shell leaks, it will collapse, which then gets absorbed and excreted by the body.	If the implant leaks, it will not collapse.  The gel may escape into the breast implant pocket.
They are FDA-approved for women age 18 or older	They are FDA-approved for women age 22 or older
They provide uniform shape and firmness	The gel provides a natural feel and appearance.
May “ripple” at the top or shift with time, but patients do not usually replace them as they do not find them bothersome	Have a lower chance of rippling. However, you may need to visit your plastic surgeon for regular check-ups, and an ultrasound or MRI screening may be needed to assess the condition of breast implants.

Breast implants Shapes and Texture

Round and Tear-drop (anatomical) are two basic implant shapes. Your current breast shape, proportions are considered while suggesting the implant shapes to be used.

Tear drop implants cost more than round implants. They come in different dimensions and fit different body frames. If you prefer more side-boob or cleavage,  you can choose this. Tear drop implants also ‘lift’ a slightly sagging breast.

Structured Breast Implants

Structured implants are filled with sterile salt water. Its inner structure gives the implant a natural feel.

A structured implant adapts easily to curves and maintains its shape and smoothness. Here are comparisons of the Ideal Structured implant with some different types of Saline and Silicone implants available currently for breast surgery.

Gummy Bear Breast Implants

Gummy bear breast implants are sometimes called so as they maintain their shape even if they break.

Advantages of Gummy bear breast implants :

• The consistency of the gel is thicker than traditional silicone gel.
• These implants are firmer than traditional implants.

NOTE :

• If a shaped gummy bear breast implant rotates, it may lead to a peculiar shape and appearance of the breast, which can require surgery for correction. This is because it has more projection at the bottom and is tapered towards the top.
• Placement of gummy bear implants requires a slightly longer incision in the skin.

Round Breast Implants

Round breast implants have a tendency to make breasts appear fuller than form-stable implants. Higher profile options can achieve even more projection.

Advantages of Round breast implants :

Round implants have less chance of rotating out of place since they are shaped the same all over.

Smooth Breast Implants

Smooth breast implants give the softest feeling. They feel natural since they move with the breast implant.

NOTE :

Smooth implants may have some visible rippling under the skin.

Textured Breast Implants

Textured breast implants can cause scar tissue to stick to the implant, making it less likely to move around and shift.

Advantages of Textured breast implants :

Textured breast implants reduce the risk of a tight scar capsule.

NOTE :

Textured breast implants are linked to a type of rare cancer known as anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

Fat Transfer Breast Augmentation Surgery

In Fat transfer Breast Surgery, fat from another part of your body is used to create the desired breast volume. Fat is usually removed from your thighs, belly, and buttocks — by liposuction.

The above picture shows an example of Fat transfer surgery.

Advantages of Fat Transfer Breast Surgery :

• It is reported that there is a sensation and has a soft feel.
• Fat used is from an area where you usually don’t want it.
• It uses body tissue instead of an artificial implant.

NOTE :

• You are usually required to wear the Brava device or an external tissue expander for four more weeks before and after the fat injections.
• Fat injected may get reabsorbed into the body resulting in loss of some breast volume.
• Some fat cells can stimulate cell growth and doctors are concerned that fat injected into the breast area may cause dormant breast cancer cells to grow; more research is needed to find out if this is true.
• Necrosis – Some fat that was injected into the breast may die resulting in pain and bleeding, and sores.
• Breast Reduction or Reduction Mammoplasty

Breast Reduction Surgery involves the removal of excess skin, fat and glandular tissue from the breast.

This surgery helps you to attain a breast size proportionate to your body.

Advantages of Breast Reduction Surgery :

This surgery can help with discomfort caused by large breasts like back or neck pain, skin rashes, difficulty exercising, or poor self-image,

NOTE :

An alternative remedy like a suitable Weight loss program can also result in changes in your breast size.

Breast Reduction Surgery is recommended for women of all ages, even young teens. However, it is better to be educated that Breast Reduction Surgery might lead to risks like

• Difficulty in breastfeeding
• Temporary Bruising
• Scarring
• loss of sensation in the nipples and areolae
• Differences between left and right breasts, like the difference in size, shape, and symmetry, which might lead to further surgeries.

Male Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast Reduction Surgery in men is performed for a condition known as Gynecomastia, where there is an enlargement of glandular tissue in men. This is a cosmetic breast surgery that removes excess fat and glandular tissue and restores a masculine contour to the chest. About 40 to 60 percent of men or boys are affected by Gynecomastia.

Breast Reconstruction or Reconstructive (plastic) Surgery

Breast Reconstruction Surgery is a type of aesthetic surgery, performed to recreate your breast with the desired contour, appearance, and volume, generally after Mastectomy or Lumpectomy. This is performed to re-create a breast using either tissue taken from another part of the body or synthetic implants, which impacts the cost of the surgery. Breast Reconstruction Surgery can be performed months or years after mastectomy or lumpectomy.

It is better to discuss the advantages and disadvantages at length with the surgeon as some patients decide to go flat after mastectomy.

Patients may also opt-out of the reconstruction surgery and choose to go flat.

Implant Reconstruction Surgery

In Implant Reconstruction Surgery, a customized breast shape is created with an artificial implant.

Autologous Reconstruction Surgery

For Autologous Reconstruction Surgery, your plastic surgeon will use tissue from another place on your body, or both.

The picture above shows an example of Autologous Reconstruction Surgery.

Advantages of Implant Reconstruction Surgery :

Breast reconstruction can help you to recover from the sad feeling and stress you might be going through after losing a breast.

NOTE :

Breast reconstruction doesn’t restore sensation to the breast or the nipple. The reconstructed breast will not feel like the original breast. Skin on the breast can be sensitive to touch.

Other types of breast surgeries include Breast Cancer Surgery for removal of cancer in the breast and surgery for abscess “removal” in the breast.

Common types of Breast Cancer Surgeries

Breast surgery recommended for Breast cancer depends on the type of breast cancer and the size and location of the tumor. The amount of tissue required to be removed determines the type of surgery.

Often some lymph nodes also are removed during breast surgery, which helps to test the presence and spread of the cancer cells. This can help the doctor in further treatment after surgery.

Lumpectomy

Other Names of Lumpectomy : Breast-Conserving Surgery, Partial Mastectomy, Re-Excision, Quadrantectomy, Wedge Resection, or a Segmental Mastectomy.

In Lumpectomy, the tumor is removed along with a small margin of normal tissue around the tumor.   Most of the breast remains intact. However, the volume of tissue surgically removed varies. For instance, Quadrantectomy deals with the removal of nearly a quarter of the breast. The surgeon will discuss with you about how much of the breast will be surgically removed and what kind of scar may be left after the surgery.

Mastectomy

Mastectomy deals with surgical removal of one or both breasts. The most common reason to opt for a mastectomy is to reduce your risk of developing breast cancer in the future. However, mastectomies are also performed for other reasons like Gender Reassignment Surgery. In Breast cancer patients, the breast surgery recommended depends on how far cancer has spread. A mastectomy can help treat :

• Carcinoma in situ : Here, the cancer cells do not grow into or invade healthy tissues within or outside the breast.  Hence, non-invasive cancer like DCIS -Ductal carcinoma in situ (“in the same place”) stays within the milk ducts. the most common type of Non-invasive breast cancer.
• Stage 0, 1, 2, and 3 breast cancer : A mastectomy can avoid the spread of Breast cancer to more distant parts of the body.
• IBC (Inflammatory breast cancer) : Mastectomy in this type of aggressive cancer is usually performed before Mastectomy.
• Paget’s disease : This is a non-invasive form of cancer with symptoms like red, flaky skin similar to psoriasis, on the nipple or the areola. This is not aggressive but Mastectomy helps as this is usually associated with cancer in the same breast.
• Locally recurrent breast cancer : A mastectomy may be necessary if cancer returns to a breast or area of the breast. Type of Mastectomy recommended for a patient depends on factors like
  • size of the tumor
  • patient’s age
  • how much cancer has spread
  • how fast the cancer is likely to spread
  • chances of cancer returning
  • if the patient can tolerate radiation therapy

There are different types of Mastectomy as follows :

• Simple or Total Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, the entire breast is removed, while the muscles under the breast and the lymph nodes in the underarm are not removed. This surgery is recommended for women with several or large areas of ductal carcinoma in situ, also known as DCIS and to prevent any possibility of breast cancer from occurring.
• Double Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, both breasts are removed. This is performed as a preventive measure when genetic features show a high risk of breast cancer.
• Modified Radical Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, the entire breast and underarm lymph nodes are removed, but leaving the muscles beneath the breast intact. Usually, women who are recommended mastectomies undergo modified radical mastectomies so that the lymph nodes can be examined to check whether cancer cells have spread beyond the breast.
• Radical Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, the entire breast, the underarm lymph nodes, and the chest wall muscles are removed. Radical mastectomy is rarely performed for Breast cancer today as a modified radical mastectomy, which is a less intensive surgery has proven as an effective treatment.
• Partial Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, the cancerous part of the breast tissue and some normal tissue around it are removed.  Lumpectomy is a form of Partial mastectomy but, less tissue is removed in lumpectomy compared to Partial mastectomy.
• Subcutaneous (nipple-sparing) Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, all of the breast tissue is removed, but the nipple is left alone.
• Skin-sparing Mastectomy : In this type of breast surgery, the breast tissue and nipple are removed leaving the skin intact.
• Nipple-sparing Mastectomy : This is relatively a new breast surgery that leaves the skin, nipple, and peripheral breast tissue intact.

Mastectomy for noncancerous patients :

• A mastectomy is performed in Sex Reassignment Surgery; when a person transitions from female to a male body. In this case, the patient’s skin is left intact but breast tissue underneath is removed.
• In rare cases, Mastectomy may be recommended for conditions like chronic breast pain, fibrocystic breast disease, and dense breast tissue.
  People with a family history of breast cancer may undergo Mastectomy as a preventive measure.

Microdochectomy

Microdochectomy is performed to remove lactiferous ducts. This type of breast surgery is recommended for patients experiencing nipple discharge coming from a single duct. Microdochectomy is performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Nipple discharge is usually associated with benign conditions. However, the risk of breast cancer increases if there is an associated mass and if the discharge is bloody. Some common reasons for nipple discharge are :

• Some form of breast infection
• hormonal conditions and Galactorrhea
• benign changes in the breast, usually related to age
• Side effects from medications, like contraceptive pills or some antidepressants, which may cause nipple discharge

Advantages of Microdochectomy :

The major advantage of microdochectomy is to preserve the patient’s ability to breastfeed.

NOTE :

Usual side effects maybe include a change in nipple sensation, pain or Infections, which can be treated with antibiotics or pain medication.

Mastoplexy or Breast Lift Surgery

Breast Lift Surgery can correct changes like loss of elasticity and firmness in the breasts due to age, weight fluctuations, or Pregnancy. A breast lift also helps to boost your self-image and self-confidence. Mastoplexy sometimes is done during Breast Augmentation or Breast Reduction Surgery.

Mastoplexy can correct conditions like :

• One breast lower than the other- to raise the breasts, excess skin is removed and the breast tissue is reshaped.
• Nipples and areolae point downward- to raise the position of the nipples and the areolae (the darker area surrounding the nipples)
• Areolae stretched out of proportion -the size of the areolae is altered to keep them in proportion to the breasts
• sagging breasts –the shape of the breasts altered and this can correct or reduce sagging.

NOTE :

• Patients considering pregnancy may have to wait to get a Breast lift because pregnancy can cause the breasts to stretch and offset the results of the lift.
• Breast-feeding is a consideration as well. Although breast-feeding is usually possible after a breast lift — since the nipples aren’t separated from the underlying breast tissue — some women might have difficulty producing enough milk.
• Women with smaller sagging breasts will benefit more as they experience longer-lasting results. Larger and heavier breasts most likely can sag again.
• Sensation in nipple or breast sensation typically returns within several weeks. However, in some cases, some loss of feeling might be permanent.
• Breast Lift surgery might not correct pre-existing asymmetry completely.
• Breastfeeding is usually possible after a breast lift. However, some women might have difficulty producing enough milk.
• Lymph node removal and analysis

Sentinel lymph node biopsy

Sentinel lymph node biopsy to determine if cancer has spread beyond a tumor into the lymphatic system.

 Axillary lymph node dissection

Axillary lymph node dissection is performed to remove many lymph nodes from under the arm.

Care after Breast Surgery

A patient’s hospital stay and recovery period vary depending on the type of breast surgery and the post-surgical recommendation. The recovery period for breast surgery is usually about 6-8 weeks. Always follow your surgeon’s and breast care nurse’s advice regarding post-operative care and travel plans.

Though flying is allowed after two weeks, care is needed when you are out in hot weather and water destination. There are plenty of outdoor historical places of importance and beaches to enjoy in the destination States in India. However, care should be taken to protect the Breast from excess sunlight, UV rays, and heat. Exposure to the UV rays can lead to permanent discoloration or darkening of the breast surgery scars. Also, swimming should be avoided until the incisions are completely healed.