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Breast18 February 20215 min read

Tubular breast: causes, forms and treatment

For many women, the breasts are an important part of their body image. Many of those affected therefore experience malformations such as the tuberous breast, also called snoopy breast or tubular breast, as a heavy burden.

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The key points in brief

  • RecognisingA tubular breast has a tube-like shape, the tissue is partly thickened in a nodular fashion, and the nipples are usually conspicuously large.

  • Four gradesThe degree ranges from an underdeveloped lower breast quadrant to a complete absence of breast tissue formation.

  • TreatmentOnly an operation changes the shape, depending on the grade with your own fat, implants and further corrections, often in several procedures.

For many women, the breasts are an important part of their body image and their femininity. Women who are dissatisfied with their own breasts often feel less comfortable and may also be emotionally or psychologically burdened. Malformations such as the tubular breast (also called a tuberous or tube-shaped breast) are therefore often a heavy burden for the women affected.

The shape of a tubular breast can only be changed by an operation. Without surgery, it can merely be concealed by suitable bras. After a thorough consultation, two surgical methods are an option, which we explain to you below.

How can you recognise a tubular breast?

If you are asking yourself, “Do I have a tubular breast?”, you can tell by the following features: As a rule, a tubular breast is deformed, because the upper part of the breast has sagged downwards and the tissue takes on the shape of a tube.

The tissue is partly thickened in a nodular fashion, and in this snout-like breast the nipples are usually conspicuously large. There may also be differences in size between the two breasts. The features mentioned appear to a different degree in every woman.

What are the causes of a tubular breast?

Such a deformation of the breast is genetic and usually shows itself as early as puberty. The shape is, so to speak, already congenital and predetermined. When the breasts develop in puberty, the upper parts of the breast grow more than the lower parts.

This imbalance then causes the upper parts to slip downwards. As soon as the breast develops and grows, the connective tissue and the areola can no longer support the weight of this glandular body and it slips forwards, which forms the tube-like shape of the tubular breast.

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What types of tubular breast are there?

There are different types, or rather degrees, which from a medical point of view can be divided into four grades:

  1. Grade 1

    In this milder form the breast is of average size and largely normally formed, and the areola is normal as well. However, here the tissue in one of the two lower breast quadrants is underdeveloped.

  2. Grade 2

    Here we find fairly small breasts with a normal areola, in which, however, both lower quadrants, including the inframammary fold, are underdeveloped.

  3. Grade 3

    This degree also shows very small breasts with too little skin. In addition, we find an enlarged areola and a downward-pointing nipple here.

  4. Grade 4

    The most severe type of deformation shows itself in a massive underdevelopment of all breast quadrants, up to a complete absence of breast tissue formation. In addition there are a large areola and a protruding mammary gland.

How can a tubular breast be reconstructed surgically?

Many women find the severe degrees especially distressing; this can also affect their body awareness and sex life. At an initial discussion in our clinic, we can first determine how pronounced the tubular breast is and suggest surgical methods suited to the individual case.

In the milder forms, breast augmentation may be an option. Either silicone implants or treatment with your own fat can be chosen for this. In severe cases additional reconstructive measures are added: we then carry out a breast lift, a correction of the areolae and a glandular correction. These steps cannot be carried out in a single operation and require several procedures.

Treatment with your own fat (“lipofilling”)

Treatment with your own fat is possible for smaller corrections of minor malformations. This corresponds to grade 1 of the deformity. The procedure takes around 2 to 3 hours and can be carried out without general anaesthesia. A second treatment may be necessary to build up more volume.

For grades 2 and 3, operations are necessary that release the fused and hardened areas of tissue so that they can be moved better within the breast and thus achieve more volume. Where both options are not sufficient, implants are also inserted.

Implants

As already indicated in the paragraph above, in difficult cases it is not effective to insert an implant alone. In addition, the fused connective tissue must be corrected and the breast area evened out. In this way the implant can be embedded in the newly shaped tissue and the missing volume can be compensated with your own fat. This fat is harvested from the lower abdomen or from the buttocks.

In addition to these measures, it is often necessary to reduce the excessively pronounced areola and to carry out a breast lift to adjust the so-called skin envelope. Which steps are required in the individual case is explained in detail in the detailed consultation and discussed with the patient.

The starting situation is shown with the help of 3D images so that the patient can better assess the planned steps. The procedure with implants is carried out under general anaesthesia. In addition, the patient stays in the clinic for at least one night.

What risks are associated with a tubular breast operation?

At the preliminary discussion the patient is also informed about possible risks that can occur in principle with any surgical procedure. For example, an infection or a wound healing disorder can occur here. If implants are inserted, there is a risk that they may slip. To reduce the risks, every patient can influence the healing process positively by resting, avoiding sport and ensuring adequate hygiene and scar care.

From when can an operation be carried out?

The operation can be carried out at the earliest on a patient who is of legal age and whose breast is fully grown.

What does such a tubular breast operation cost?

There are no flat-rate prices here, because the number of procedures and the surgical method vary greatly from person to person, especially if, besides inserting the implants, further corrections to glands, skin and areolae have to be made. In general, however, costs from around €6,000 should be expected.

Before a tubular breast operation, the patient should therefore ask her German statutory health insurance to what extent the necessary costs can be covered. Typically, health insurers do not cover the costs of aesthetic surgery, unless it involves serious deformities that cause demonstrable psychological distress.

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