Breast Reduction

Very large breasts can cause some women to have both health and emotional problems. In addition to self image issues, you may also experience physical pain and discomfort. The weight of excess breast tissue can impair an active life. The emotional distress and self-consciousness associated with having very large or pendulous breasts is as important to many women as the physical discomfort and pain is.

What is Breast Reduction

Also known as reduction mammaplasty, this procedure 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 an individualized procedure and you should do it for yourself, not to fulfill someone else's desires or to try to fit any sort of ideal image. It's important that you are physically healthy, and have realistic expectations. Breast reduction may be good if you are bothered by the feeling that your breasts are too large, your breasts limit your physical activity, or if you experience back, neck and shoulder pain caused by the weight of your breasts. If you have indentations from bra straps that support heavy, pendulous breasts, you have skin irritation beneath the breast crease, your breasts hang low and have stretched skin, your nipples rest below the breast crease when your breasts are unsupported, or if you have enlarged areolas caused by stretched skin breast reduction may be good for you as well.

Disscussing Breast Reduction

New breast reduction techniques like liposuction result in quicker recovery times and little or no scarring. A breast reduction candidate would meet with their plastic surgeon to discuss the options, risks, and desired outcome before the breast reduction surgery. Anesthesia should also be discussed and many patients chose to remain conscious during their breast reduction procedure, while others elect for sedation rather than general anesthesia.

Recovery from Breast Reduction

Recovery time for patients following their breast reduction can vary. Based upon the amount of tissue removed and other factors, many breast reduction patients are able to return to work within days of the operation. A breast reduction will usually prevent a patient from resuming any heavy lifting or strenuous activity for a few weeks. Breast reduction results will emerge after the swelling goes down, over the first days and weeks following the breast reduction, with the final results appearing around a year after the surgery.