Breast Reduction Procedure Information

As a woman ages and develops her breasts, some of them are not happy with the way they look because they feel they are too big and draw too much attention to their appearance. In addition, there are some women that suffer from neck and back pain because of the size and weight of the breasts on their chests. For patients that wish they had breasts that were smaller in size, they have a medical option known as breast reduction surgery.

Cosmetic Town TV recently took an in-depth look at breast reduction to see how it is performed as well as the ideal candidates for the surgery and important breast reduction information:

Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast reduction surgery, AKA reduction mammoplasty, is performed to reduce the overall size of the breasts. In addition, the surgery lifts the nipple-areola complex thanks to the removal of excess fat and skin. The incisions made during breast reduction surgery depend on the size of the breasts and the position of the nipple-areola complex.

The scars caused by the incisions fall into two basic scar patterns. The Wise pattern is a longer scar that goes around the nipple, down the middle in a straight line and underneath the fold. The scar ends up looking like an anchor or an inverted T. The vertical scar pattern AKA a mosque pattern looks more like a lollipop since the scar goes around the nipple and then straight down.

After the incisions are made, the surgeon removes the designated amount of excess fat and skin via a scalpel or liposuction. The fat and skin that remains is restructured to create a breast shape that is more youthful in appearance. The surgeon also moves the nipple-areola complex to a higher position. Patients that want a smaller areola can have the surgeon create a new areola size. The incisions are closed with layered sutures.

Ideal Breast Reduction Candidates

Ideal candidates for breast reduction surgery include patients that feel their breasts are too large for the size of their body as well as women with heavy breasts that have nipples and areolas that point downward. In addition, women that suffer from back and neck pain due to the weight of the breasts, women with poor posture due to the weight of the breast tissue and women limited in the amount of physical activities they can enjoy because of the size of their breasts are all ideal candidates.

Breast Reduction Cost, Recovery and Results

In general, the cost of breast reduction is anywhere from $7000-$12,000. The cost depends on the amount of work that needs to be performed during the breast reduction, the condition of the breasts before the breast reduction, the area of the country where it is performed and any fees charged by the doctor or the facility. If the breast reduction surgery is being performed for medical reasons such as helping to relieve back and neck pain caused by overly large breasts, the health insurance of the patient will cover some, or all, of the medical costs. If the breast reduction is being performed for aesthetic purposes, the cost will need to be paid by the patient.

Once the breast reduction surgery is performed, the patient will experience some numbness, bruising and swelling for a few weeks or months. Compression garments will be placed around the breasts to help minimize any swelling and support the newly sculpted breast tissue. There will be some discomfort during the recovery period but this can be managed with pain medication. Patients can resume work after 10-14 days of downtime. However, they should avoid lifting anything heavy for several weeks.

It should be noted that breast reduction surgery requires the tissue and nerves to be disrupted so it can take up to a year for all of the swelling to disappear and for the final results to become apparent to the patient. Once all of the swelling has gone away, patients will enjoy a reduction in the size and appearance of the breasts as well as an elimination of the physical discomfort that occurred because of their size and weight. There might a scar that is apparent after the surgery and it can take up to a year for the scar to stop being red and lumpy. The scar will eventually settle down before it fades and becomes a line that is thin and pale.

The final results of breast reduction surgery are permanent. The patient might see some changes in the appearance of the breasts as time passes due to aging, changes in the weight of the person and gravity.

Consult with a Board-Certified Breast Reduction Surgeon

When a patient is considering having breast reduction, the first step is scheduling a consultation appointment with a board-certified surgeon. The surgeon will meet with the patient in order to discuss the goals and final results desired by the person. The breast reduction surgeon will conduct a physical examination to make sure the person is an ideal candidate for breast reduction surgery as well as determine the best incision option to achieve the desired results.