Photo: Flickr/55Laney69If you are contemplating breast augmentation surgery, listen up! Apparently, it's not uncommon for the implants to migrate a bit after surgery. If this is not corrected, you might end up with what's charmingly referred to as a "double bubble", when the bottom of the implant is higher than the natural bottom of your breast. But fear not! This surgeon has a simple remedy: a "cast" to hold the implants in place made by tying shoelaces around your torso in a special pattern. It turns out that the type of shoelace also matters: "I have found that the ideal shoelace cast is made from two 54-inch, wide-bodied (3/4-inch), flat shoelaces. One pair of shoelaces is adequate for the duration of treatment." Be sure to check out the step-by-step instructions below.Shoelace Breast Cast. "Implant malposition after breast augmentation surgery remains a common complication. Several surgical options exist to correct the resultant deformity; however, all involve additional risks, costs, and the increased potential for patient dissatisfaction. In my practice, I have developed a nonsurgical therapy using shoelaces, which, when tied and placed in a certain fashion, can correct this deformity. When worn continuously, the shoelaces act as an external breast cast that allows the inframammary fold to be set and heal in the correct position. I have achieved great success in using this nonsurgical technique, and it allows me to be aggressive in cases where I need to raise the inframammary fold because I know that I can easily correct if the fold is lowered too much."
Bonus step-by-step instructions from the full text:
"The ends of the shoelaces are first tied. Then, the shoelaces are placed around the patient’s neck, draped down the center of the chest, and knotted again at a location 2 to 5 cm above the inframammary crease. The shoelaces are then wrapped underneath each fold. Each end is then wrapped around the back, crossed, and brought back anteriorly, being wrapped again underneath the inframammary fold before being tied together in front. Thus, each inframammary fold is “casted” with 2 lengths of shoelaces." Related content: NCBI ROFL: What is a large breast? NCBI ROFL: Practical do-it-yourself device for accurate volume measurement of breast. NCBI ROFL: How is a woman’s breast like a pork roast? (hint: it involves pimento olives).
