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Your Guide to Breast Reduction Surgery
We think of breast augmentation as the most popular breast surgery, and it might be. However, there are some women who are seeking to surgically reduce the size of their breasts instead. There are options to do this safely if a woman’s large breast size is negatively impacting her life.
What Is Breast Reduction Surgery?
Breast reduction surgery is a procedure that removes excess skin, fat, and glandular tissue to decrease the size of a woman’s breasts.
There are three main options for this surgery. The methods used will depend on the body composition and goals of the patient. Surgery methods include:
1. Liposuction:
When a patient doesn’t suffer from sagging skin or asymmetry and their excess breast tissue is largely made up of fat, liposuction could be an option. It leaves fewer scars and is much less invasive than some other options.
2. Vertical Breast Reduction:
This procedure uses two incisions. One follows the outline of the areola and the second goes from the bottom of the areola to the breast fold at the chest. This option is available to patients who have moderate sagging they want to correct.
3. Inverted-T Breast Reduction:
This option is the most intense. It is used when patients have a large size correction or have a large amount of excess skin and tissue to remove. It uses three incisions. One incision is around the areola, the second goes from the bottom of the areola to the breast fold, and the final incision is made along the breast crease.
Why Do People Get Breast Reduction?
Most women who seek this procedure are suffering from various physical or emotional issues due to their breast size. Some reasons for this procedure are:
- Neck pain
- Shoulder pain
- Shoulder grooves from bras
- Inability to exercise comfortably
Whatever the reason, breast reduction surgery can help.
Benefits Of Breast Reduction
Breast reduction surgery has numerous advantages, including:
- Improving silhouette
- Improving bodily proportion
- Making it easier to find and fit clothes
- Reducing pain
- Making it easier to be active or work out
- Improving the look of large or stretched areolas
It’s said that patient satisfaction after breast reduction surgery is among the highest among the various elective procedures. Patients feel reinvigorated. They feel better mentally and physically.
Recovery
Recovering from surgery is different for each patient, but here are things you will probably experience after breast reduction:
- You will be bandaged after surgery
- You will be advised to wear a support garment for the first couple of weeks
- You will probably be prescribed pain medications
- You may be able to return to a desk job within a week
- You will have temporary activity and lifting restrictions
Recovery is a process and the final results of surgery may not be apparent until the swelling has gone down. This may take weeks or months. Heeding your surgeon’s advice will speed healing and ensure safety after the procedure.
If you’re considering breast reduction, call Dr. Fichadia and her staff at their Portland, OR office today to book a consultation.
Dr. Fichadia is a double board-certified, comprehensively trained plastic and reconstructive surgeon. She completed general surgical training at St Elizabeth’s Medical Center, an affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA, and subsequently completed a highly competitive plastic surgery program at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, OR. She has presented research from her time in Boston and Portland at national and international surgical meetings such as Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons and annual meeting of American Society of Plastic Surgery.
