Breast reduction surgery is a procedure that a woman often thinks about for years prior to following through with the actual operation. Shoulder and back pain, as well as the mere large size of the breasts are the main reasons for seeking surgical reduction of the breast volume. When being evaluated for the surgery, it is important to express your desires to the surgeon about what your expectations are as far as the size that you want your breasts to ultimately become. They cannot create your new breasts to your liking if you do not make your wishes known. The surgery takes between 2 and 4 hours to complete. The nipple complex is preserved and every attempt is made to maintain the sensation to the nipple, although occasionally the sensation to that area is changed from the surgery. The scars from the surgery are in the form of an inverted “T”.

The excess breast tissue is removed, the nipple is lifted and the remaining skin and breast tissue are brought around below the nipple to recreate the breast form. It is very important to let the surgeon know what size you want your breasts to be. They will tell you what (around of tissue) needs to be removed in order to comply with the regulations of some insurance companies. After surgery, you may have drainage tubes to remove excess fluid from the surgery. These will remain in the breast for 7 to10 days, rarely longer. Some patients are kept overnight in the hospital which should be discussed with the surgeon. The scarring after surgery can range from barely perceptible to scarring that is considered hypertrophic (over growth of scar tissue). It is often difficult to predict how you will scar so you need to be prepared for the scars to be visible. Ask your surgeon to have all of the breast tissue evaluated by a pathologist, as precancerous lesions and cancer cells occasionally can be found in the breast tissue that was removed.

What symptoms come from the breast being too large?

• Neck pain
• Back pain
• Shoulder divots (ridges from the bra)
• Debilitating discomfort
• Skin irritation under the breast

Will I like my new breasts?

Breast reduction surgery is one surgery that has the highest patient satisfaction. Women should wait until after child bearing to have the surgery performed, unless their symptoms are incapacitating. Although breast-feeding is possible after breast reduction, the surgery can block the ducts and make breast-feeding problematic.

What should I do to make sure my breasts are healthy before surgery?

Prior to breast reduction, a screening mammogram of each breast should be performed. In addition a comprehensive breast health history and clinical breast exam is required.

Breast Reduction Complications

• Fat necrosis-a non-cancerous formation of tissue can cause calcium deposits.
• Micro calcifications- calcium deposits that appear on mammograms
• Calcifications may require a biopsy
• Fat necrosis can create a mass or lump

*Knowing this before the surgery, women can be prepared for the potential biopsy in the future and these benign, non-cancerous changes are quite minor compared to the overall improvement that breast reduction can provide the appropriate patient.