Breast Reduction

Breast Reduction

Am I a good candidate for this surgery?

Breast reduction or Reduction Mammaplasty alleviates the pain and discomfort from overly large breasts. Overly large breasts can cause some women to have both health and even emotional problems.  The weight and size of some breasts is enough to interfere with exercise, sports, and even daily activities.  There is frequently chronic pain involving the neck, upper back and shoulders.  The surgery is successful in all age groups from late teens to older adults.
 

What is the surgery?

A breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty removes excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin to achieve a breast size in proportion with your body and to alleviate the discomfort associated with overly large breasts.
Breast reduction is usually performed through incisions on your breasts with surgical removal of excess fat, glandular tissue and skin.  The most common incisions are the inverted T or anchor-shaped incision pattern. Due to the nature of the surgery, it is best done in non-smokers and those in reasonable health. Surgery can be done on an outpatient basis or inpatient basis.  General anesthesia is the rule. Overnight stays are not uncommon.
 

What does it not do?

The inevitable consequence of having smaller and more comfortable breasts are the lengthy scars, hopefully fine line scars, that this surgery creates. It does not prevent cancer, but also, neither does it prevent early dectection of breast masses. The surgery lifts the breasts, makes them smaller, gives the breast a natural teardrop shape and reduces the size of widened areolas. However, it does not stop the natural aging of the breast that occurs over the decades, nor the changes that could occur with subsequent pregnancies.
 

What can I expect afterwards?

Time off from school and/or work should be at least 2 weeks with full activities and exercise to resume in 6 weeks after surgery. Surprisingly, post op pain is fairly mild. The final breast size and shape will not be apparent for 2 to 3 months. A caregiver at home is necessary for a minimum of 24 hours but most people require care for 2-3days post operatively. 

 

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