Rib Asymmetry

Hi Mr Alvi and welcome to BJSF!

This post is incredibly overdue for me but recently I've been coming across more women who also have a similar problem.

I've had asymmetric breasts since I can remember and having seen two surgeons both said the major cause for it was an uneven rib cage. On my left side my ribs are completely normal, but on my right they dip in. It's so incredibly obvious, I don't know how I never noticed it before.

Are there many girls out there with a similar issue? And is there a specific name for a condition like this?

I've been warned I could suffer from a boob misplacement as a result, I was also warned that the implant could be "swallowed" into the gap which is what happened, resulting in needing a smaller sized implant on the other side than was expected. I had 365cc on my right side and 280cc to try and reduce the difference between them.

I also have a picture trail if this would be of any use in answering my questions.

I'd love to hear some info on it... I've searched high and low on Google since January and I've come up with absolutely nothing! x

Hello there,

Thank you for your message.


Chest wall asymmetry is more common then most people realise and is usually brought to light after visiting a Plastic surgeon to correct breast asymmetry or for breast enlargement. Chest or rib cage asymmetry can Rage from mild to severe and may occur as part of " pectus deformity " ( breast bone abnormality) or sometimes " Polands syndrome" . Mild case, sometime present as breast asymmetry where the breasts are the same size but appear asymmetric due to underlying asymmetric rib cage.
Treatment options depend on a number of factors and range from simple breast implants ( using different size implants) to using " custom made implants " first to correct the underlying chest wall deformity, which may be followed by a breast enlargement. For severe deformities , treatment may be available on NHS plastic surgery centres.

Please feel free to email any further questions, hope this helps

Rizwan Alvi

Thankyou for your response, it was very informative! :thumbs:

Having had implants to rectify the asymmetry, could I find when I get older and lose breast tissue it may become more obvious and may need different treatment than a standard BA? Right now my side with the larger implant looks more round compared to the "normal" side, but that could be because I'm still quite early post op.x

Hi Alice,

At this moment in time it would be difficult to predict how things will change in the future.
If you have a reasonably symmetrical result and our happy once things settle then I would suggest just enjoy it. If there are changes to the breasts in the future, treatment would depend on how things settle.
A number of different treatments are available which may be used including, custom implants, fat transfer etc.

Kind regards,

Rizwan Alvi

Thankyou for getting back to me so soon. My final question is would custom implants/fat transfer be available through clinics such as Transform etc or is this something very few clinics would offer?x

Hi Alice and Mr Alvi

I have mild Polands Sydrome and have had breast implants on NHS in March this yr (2012). Alice, did you find any more answers to your questions as idbe interested in hearing.

Mr Alvi, do you know much about Polands and implants etc? I struggle to ask my GP as he doesnt really know much about Polands except for what he sees on the internet and I dont want to keep making appointments to sit and waste time when he cant answer.
Are there any future complications or advice you could give me? I am going back in for re-do on left side (affected side) as, due to my deformed ribcage, the implant is too small so needs bigger implant to make even with right side.

Sorry for invading your post Alice :0)

Thanks in advance for any advice or info you have Mr Alvi.