Why Have A Breast Reduction?

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Overly large, pendulous breasts can reduce both self-esteem and quality of life, as you deal with physical discomfort, are forced to wear certain clothes and refrain from some athletic activity.

Breast reduction surgery reduces the size of, and improves the shape of, excessively large breasts. This can help address chronic neck pain, and skin irritation, whilst producing a more proportional, attractive figure. 

Breast reduction surgery has some of the highest satisfaction rates in all of plastic surgery - it is a genuinely transformative procedure that often makes women much happier about life.

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Procedure Details

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Breast reduction is a genuinely transformative surgery that can greatly improve quality of life. Women who undergo this surgery find that their posture improves, they can actually enjoy sports and exercise for the first time since puberty, and clothes fit better. Chronic pain also often vanishes, sometimes overnight.

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Twenty five years ago, many women remained hospitalized for a week after surgery. However, advances in knowledge of blood supply and modern surgical techniques mean most women only need one night in hospital following surgery. The operation is carried out under general anesthesia and takes about two hours.

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Incisions are made below the nipple and in the fold beneath the breast. After the breast tissue and skin are removed, the nipple is moved into its new site in the reduced, younger profile breast, either with an intact blood supply or as a free graft. Sometimes there can be a delay in healing around the nipple, and when a free nipple graft has to be used, there is a loss of in projection of the nipple.

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Preparation & Recovery​

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Each patient will be given specific and tailored instructions regarding preparation for surgery.

 

Those who smoke run a greater risk of chest infection and the healing wounds in smokers may be slower. For patients who smoke it is advisable to cut down for a week before surgery and to stop smoking completely for three days immediately before the operation. Assumption of Aspirin or blood thinning medication should be avoided for two weeks before surgery as it can reduce natural blood clotting after the operation.

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Postoperative discomfort is relatively minor as the breast is a skin organ. A small drain is removed at eighteen hours and the patient is usually able to go home within twenty four hours. The sutures are removed between seven and ten days after surgery. The patient can then take a shower or a bath. In the event of slight discharge from the wounds it is recommended to take regular salt baths.

 

The scars fade in sequence. The scar around the nipple fades first, followed by the scar to the fold beneath the breast. The final scar sometimes becomes raised and reddened or may stretch and widen before it fades.

 

Women with large breasts tend to have little nipple sensitivity. After breast reduction, the sensation is greatly reduced but the sensitivity will return gradually. A woman will not be able to breast feed after this type of operation. However women with large breasts are often unable to breast feed at all.