Mastopexy and Breast Reduction: Principles and Practice

T e Breast: T e center of emotional attraction, the source of nourishment, and means of seduction are some of the many possible de? nitions of this precious feminine attribute. Since ancient times, the female breast has had an important role for women and society in general. It is up to art to glorify it and it is the artist¿s job to ? nd an ideal shape for it. Works of art survive as testimony to the evolution and transformation of the breast. Since prehistoric times, the cult of the Great Mother has settled in this place. T e breast thus becomes the focus of the renewal of life and its cycles. It is the symbol of fertility and abundance and symbolizes life¿s renewal. T e breast then is the center of the magical, wonderful forces that rule the world. T e numerous statuettes typically with ample bosoms and emphasizing sexual organs testify to the powerful role that women played in the Egyptian, Minoan, Syrian, and Mesopotamian cultures. When the masculine e- ment prevailed over the feminine, the breast became the creative principle of the u- verse. T e Great Mother became the wife or the daughter. T e breast was no longer a magical place. T e statuettes were certainly feminine but they were not known for their beauty. Images of a marked yet less powerful sensuality were created instead.