Breast reduction (reduction mammoplasty) is a surgical procedure used to resize or reshape breasts. It is performed by removing some fat, skin, and glandular tissue from the breast. Performed under general anesthesia, the process usually takes two to four hours.
Candidates for breast reduction are women with large breasts usually experiencing neck, back, and shoulder problems due to the weight of the breasts. The ultimate goal of the procedure is to have smaller, firmer, and lighter breasts.
The two most popular techniques when performing breast reduction are the inferior pedicle, and the vertical scar techniques.
The inferior pedicle technique is used mostly on women with the largest breasts. An incision is made around the areola and extends downwards
following the curve of the breast. Excess skin, fat, and tissue are removed and the nipple and areola are moved to a new higher location.
The second technique called the vertical scar technique which eliminates horizontal incisions and results in the least amount of scarring. The same principle of removing tissue, fat, and skin is used to reduce the size of the breast.
One technique gaining popularity is the liposuction only method. This approach is not as drastic as the other techniques, and it is less invasive. Patients also benefit from much quicker healing periods. This method would not be suitable on excessively large breasts.
Patients undergoing reduction mammoplasty may take only a few weeks for initial recovery, but the body can take up to six months or even a year to adjust to the new breast size. Depending on the type of surgery performed there are factors to consider when planning a breast reduction. Loss of feeling in the nipples and inability to breast feed after surgery are common problems. While most women report the loss of feeling to be temporary, some say it is more permanent. Again, with breast feeding, some women have no problems breast feeding post surgery, and in some cases the milk ducts under the nipple have been permanently damaged resulting in the inability to breast feed.
If you are considering breast reduction be sure to contact your insurance provider. In many cases, the cost of the procedure may be covered as long as the surgery is being done to correct medical problems associated with large or heavy breasts.
