Mild to severe enlargement of breasts in many women result from over development of milk glands or of fat tissue or a combination of both. Heavy breasts often affect routine activities, reduce exercising capacity, cause chronic pain (neck, back, shoulder, chest etc.), breathing difficulty, sleep disturbances, affect posture etc. In addition, enlarged breast result in sagging due to gravity, making it aesthetically unappealing and uncomfortable.
Breast skin volume is permanent and cannot be reversed with weight loss. Non – surgical procedure options provide minimal relief and not a permanent solution.
What is Breast Reduction surgery?
Breast reduction or reduction mammoplasty is a procedure to remove excess breast both glandular tissue and fat as well as skin. It helps to achieve a breast size in proportion to your body. It also helps to alleviate the discomfort caused by the large breasts.
Who needs Breast Reduction?
Click below for Breast Reduction Pre and Post Photos
Individual Results May Vary
Women who have very large breasts, not in proportion to their body. Those who experience shoulder, neck or even back pain due to the large breasts. Skin irritation at the crease, or indentations due to the bra straps. Heavy breasts which limit your daily physical activity, or inability to fit into certain clothes. Large breasts causing physical as well as emotional problems affecting self confidence/self image.
What are the breast reduction preoperative requisites
Once you have consulted a board certified plastic surgeon and have decided to get the procedure done, you would be required to do the following:
Get a work up for general anesthesia, which includes blood tests as well as chest x-ray and ECG in older women.
A sono mammogram has to be done to evaluate your breasts and rule out any breast lumps if any.
Avoid taking aspirin, herbal supplements atleast a week prior to the surgery
Avoid smoking atleast two weeks prior to the surgery.
You would be advised to come fasting for a period of eight hours prior to the surgery
What are the types of Breast Reduction?
The procedure will be done usually under general anesthesia.
Breast reduction is performed through placing incision on your breasts to remove the excess gland, fat and skin. If the breast size is predominantly due to fat and there is no skin excess, liposuction alone can be performed to reduce the size. The choice of technique for breast reduction (inverted T or vertical) depends upon the amount of reduction needed, breast composition, individual preference and the surgeons opinion.
Breast Reduction incision
Keyhole/raquet shaped incision
Periaerolar incision extending vertically down to the breast crease.
Inverted T/anchor shaped incision.
Periaerolar incision extending down to the crease as well as horizontally along the crease.
Procedure involves repositioning the nipple aerola along with the intact blood and nerve supply. Excess gland, fat and skin are removed.
What are the Breast Reduction post operative instructions
The patients will be shifted to the post operative ward/room post procedure where they will be closely monitored by trained staff. Most patients can be discharged on the same day. Those with comorbid conditions may be asked to stay overnight for observation.
Post procedure dressings will be applied over the incision lines. Patients will be discharged with oral antibiotics and pain killers for about five to seven days. The first follow up would be after 48 hours. Dressings will be changed and patient will be asked to wear a sports bra to support the breasts and help to minimize swelling.
The sutures would be removed on the seventh post operative day. One can resume normal daily activities from the third day. Restriction of cardio for a period of three weeks and muscle workout for a period of six weeks is advised.
Breast Reduction or Reduction Mammoplasty as it is called, is a surgical procedure aimed at:
Breast Reduction. Removal of excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin.
Restoring natural position.
The procedure aims at restoring a functional bust, proportionate to the body without affecting the primary functions. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and is often a day care procedure. The patient can resume routine in a week’s time and start mild exercises by 2nd week. Vigorous exercises and swimming can should preferably be resumed only by week 6.
Depending on the size and degree of sagging, the surgeon may opt for any one of the below treatment plans:
Scar less liposuction (for small sized less sagging breasts).
Small periareolar scar reduction.
Short vertical scar reduction (for mild to moderate sized breasts).
J shaped scar type (for moderate sized breasts).
Classical inverted T scar type (for big to large sized breasts).
Inverted T scar and a free nipple graft (for large sized breasts).
The procedure provides both physical and psychological relief to women suffering from overly sized breasts. The satisfaction rates of patients following breast reduction are very high.
For more information on our procedures or if you are interested in scheduling an appointment please reach us here, or by clicking on the QR code below. We will let you know if you are a good candidate for the procedure, and can recommend any additional treatments that can help you reach your beauty goals.
The bad news: some stretch marks may be removed from areas where the skin is removed during surgery. Typically the ones on the lower breasts are removed, while the marks on the upper breasts remain. Now for the good news: a side effect of the skin tightening process involved in Mastopexy can be the partial smoothing of any stretch marks surrounding the operating area.
Typically, tissue is removed from around the areola and below the breast, as found necessary. This tightens the breast tissue and allows the nipple to be moved to a higher position to create the “lift”.
Yes. In fact, many patients opt for larger scale body improvements and choose to undergo liposuction or a tummy tuck alongside their Mastopexy. These procedures can help reverse signs of aging or correct the kind of problems that commonly develop following pregnancy. The surgery can be coupled with breast enlargement or reduction. Individual goals are discussed in detail with every patient before the operation.
Every woman recovers differently. Generally, the first five to seven days after breast surgery are spent resting at home. During this time, patients take mild pain medication to combat any discomfort. They cannot drive or operate machinery. After approximately a week, patients will be able to resume light exercise, like walking. More vigorous activities such as aerobics or running must wait for a while. Depending on your recovery process, the surgeon would advice you on resuming a more strenuous exercise regimen. Normally, it takes approximately three weeks to get back to running, aerobics, and weight training. Breast lift patients must factor in at least two weeks off from work in order to recover properly. If the patient’s job involves strenuous physical activities, work may need to be postponed for more than just two weeks. If you’ve had more than one procedure performed, such a tummy tuck and breast lift, your after surgery care instructions will also be different. In order to maximize results and ensure patient safety, post-operation appointments will be scheduled. These check-ups allow the doctor to fully review the healing process, scarring and the outcome of the surgery. Patients could call the clinic during their recovery for answers to questions or help with concerns when they come up.
Scarring will happen. Every patient must weigh the benefits of their breast lift against the drawback of scarring for themselves before deciding on going in for a Mastopexy.
Every single person’s skin changes over time. The breasts may gradually show signs of stretching or sagging years after surgery. An improved breast contour is less likely to degrade over time than skin tension.
There is the possibility of a risk of losing sensation around the nipple area. Almost every breast lift requires incisions around the nipple. If this complication does occur, patients may need to wait for the nerves to grow back. If sensation has not returned after two years, it’s likely that the nipples may never regain their normal sense of touch.
Loss of Sensitivity in the Breasts Several patients experience temporary loss in breast sensitivity after Mastopexy. This is because the nerve endings have been cut during the operation, and need the healing touch of time, sometimes several months, for normal sensation to return. In some rare cases, the procedure can lead to a permanent loss of sensation in the breasts and/or areola area. Scarring Any injury results in scars. And Mastopexy is no exception. But, these scars are usually not problematic. A lowdown on the kinds of scars:
Hypertrophic scars are red, raised and lumpy
Keloids are tissue overgrowths that extend past the incisions made during surgery or the development of inner scar tissue.
Smokers or those who have a medical history of abnormal scarring are at greater risk for developing more apparent breast lift scars. Scar gels and silicone gel sheeting can help minimize scarring. It’s important to remember that scarring looks worse just after surgery and begin fading over time. Wound Separation (Dehiscence) Revision surgery isn’t usually required to treat the wound separation problem. Smokers and diabetics are among those who may experience a separation of the operating wound edges. If wounds do separate, take care to keep the area as clean as possible. Women who experience wound separation will take longer to completely recover from their Mastopexy.
Breast Skin or Nipple Loss Due to effects on the blood circulation during a breast lift, there is a risk that part of the breast skin, or the nipple, could turn black. It is a much higher risk, however, in diabetics and smokers, and for this reason Mastopexy surgery is not perform on these patients.
Breast Asymmetry Naturally, all women have some level of asymmetry. It is when this asymmetry is noticeable and causes distress and discomfort, correction using surgery must be done for a more balanced look.
Blood Loss Excessive blood loss, although not common, may need blood transfusion. If the bleeding fails to stop on its own, it needs immediate medical attention. To reduce the risk of post-operative bleeding, patients are given instructions to avoid the use of anti-coagulant medications and supplements like vitamin E, garlic tablets and aspirin.
Hematoma A hematoma is caused by blood collecting and clotting in a body cavity. It could cause swelling, pain, develop scar tissue, infections and other complications. Patients would know a hematoma has developed when one breast becomes significantly bigger than the other, even 2-3 times bigger! It would also become very painful – a sure sign that the doctor must know and medical care must be administered immediately.
Fat Necrosis When fat lacks a proper supply of blood it becomes necrotic, or perishes. The affected tissue turns orange and begins to weep. This is a problem and could lead to causing major infections. Patients must seek immediate treatment to remove the necrotic tissue. However, it is a rare occurrence in breast tissue and can be seen in smokers, women who suffer from diabetes or circulatory problems. Those who have undergone radioactive/chemotherapy treatment are at an increased risk of developing necrosis.
Infection Normally, infections show up within three days following surgery. The signs are severe swelling, redness, significant pain that shows no sign of improvement, discharge, a foul smell, a fever of 38 degrees Celsius or higher and intense heat stemming from the operated area.
General Dissatisfaction with Surgical Results of Mastopexy Dissatisfaction will not occur if patients have realistic expectations from their breast lift surgery. In any surgery, skin is cut. Therefore scarring is a given. You need to accept that in your mind. Anyway, these scars are never visible in public. When you know what to expect, you automatically keep your expectations real. And we, at Chennai Plastic Surgery are known to exceed expectations in a positive way.
