Breast Reduction

Is It Right For You?
The size, shape and skin tone of your breasts, your medical history and other factors will help your surgeon determine if you will benefit from breast reduction. Again, if your breasts cause you physical discomfort such as back or shoulder aches, or if you are self-conscious because of excessive breast size, you may be a good candidate.

Your expectations will also determine whether breast reduction is right for you. A person's emotions are an important factor in any surgery. But they arc more important in plastic surgery, particularly when patients expect the surgery to solve their social, sexual, or business difficulties; or if they expert perfection as a result. Breast reduction will reduce the size of your breasts and help clothes fit better; it will not solve all of your problems. Talk openly with your plastic surgeon to be sure your expectations and what the surgery can accomplish are one and the same.

How Expensive Is Breast Reduction?

Surgeon, anesthesia and operative facility costs for plastic surgery vary widely. Surgeons' fees for breast reduction can range from $2,000 to $7,000, depending on the extent and complexity of the procedure. Additional expenses will depend on the anesthesia used, and where the surgery takes place.

Since breast reduction generally is performed to relieve physical discomfort, the fees may be partially or fully paid by your insurance carrier, but the company will want proof before surgery that the procedure was medically necessary. If surgery is purely elective to improve appearance, insurance will probably not cover the procedure. Check your policy t0 find out what is covered, and discuss the matter with your insurance carrier before the surgery is performed.

Are There Risks Involved?
While all surgery carries some risk, and plastic surgery is no exception, complications and side effects are rare when breast reduction is performed by a qualified plastic surgeon.

Breast reduction does leave scars under the breasts and leading up to the nipple, although they lighten to some extent with time. Minor surgery can improve scars that arc very visible, but they cannot he erased. Sometimes sensitivity in the nipple and breast is reduced, and feeling may not return for as long as six months.

What Should Your First Step Be ?
Most plastic surgeons will ask you to come in for an initial consultation, during which he or she will conduct a routine breast examination, and ask about your medical history. Your surgeon may ask you to have a mammogram (breast x-ray). He or she will discuss factors that will determine the possibilities for and the extent of the surgery, including your age, previous plastic surgeries, breast condition and other variables, and will explain the surgical technique for breast reduction, the anesthesia, where the surgery will be performed, and the expected results. You will also he asked to pose for a photograph that may be used as a guide during surgery and to follow your progress later.

When you meet with the doctor, be sure to ask any questions you may have about the procedure, such as anticipated risks and benefits, recovery period, how often he or she performs breast reduction and what the surgery will cost. Also discuss your expectations and motivations with the physician. Remember, breast reduction will relieve physical discomfort and make your breasts smaller and more attractive, but it may not change other aspects of your life.

Taken from the Greek word plastikos, which means to mold or give form) plastic surgery is a specialty that makes it possible to do just that: mold or reform the human body. Procedures that heal and restore patients with deformities from injury, disease or birth defect are called reconstructive. Those that change or enhance appearance by recontouring facial and body features are called aesthetic.

Because informed patients are so important to the success of plastic surgery, according to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (ASPP S), this brochure is about breast reduction, or reduction mammaplasty .It may not answer all of your question but it will help you understand what breast reduction is, how it can help you and what possible risks you should be aware of.

What Is Breast Reduction?
Breast reduction is a surgical procedure that reduces the size and reshapes the contour of large breasts by removing excess breast skin and underlying tissue. It may include reducing the sire of the areola (the dark pink skin surrounding the nipple), which frequently becomes enlarged as breasts develop. The desired result is smaller, better shaped breasts that are in proportion with the rest of the body.

Breast reduction is often performed to ease physical discomfort ,such as difficulty in breathing, backache and irritation at the crease of the breasts, and can make physical activity more comfortable. However, it can be purely aesthetic for women who arc self-conscious about their breast size. The procedure is permanent, although breast size can increase due to weight gain, birth control pills or pregnancy.

Who Is A Good Candidate For Breast Reduction?

Women with disproportionate]y large, sagging breasts are good candidates for breast reduction.

Those who have breasts that sag but are not too large might benefit more from a breast lift(mastopexy).

While women of any age can benefit from the procedure, it usually is performed after breasts are fully developed unless a young girl experiences great physical discomfort due to the size of her breasts.

Breast reduction is not recommended for women who want to breastfeed. The ability to breastfeed cannot be predicted following the procedure since ducts leading to and from the nipple may have to be severed to achieve the reduction.

Within a week, any surgical dressing will be replaced with a soft bra, which you will be asked to wear for several weeks. Swelling and skin discoloration around the incisions usually will subside in a few days, and stitches will be removed in two to three weeks.

When Can You Get Back To Your Normal Routine ?

How soon you return to your normal routine depends on how you heal and how you feel. Although you may be up and about in a day or two following surgery, you should avoid excessive movement and refrain from overhead lifting for three to four weeks. Your surgeon may advise you not to shower for at least a week, and to bathe carefully to keep the incision dry.

You can return to work in about two weeks after surgery, although your breasts may be sore by the end of the day. Sports can also be resumed in about two weeks, but they should be limited to bending or stretching exercises or swimming slowly in a pool for three or four weeks, and you will need a support or athletic bra for the first month.

Where Will the Surgery Be Performed?

Although breast reduction is generally performed as 3Ti inpatient in a hospital, depending on what you and your surgeon choose, it may be done in an outpatient surgical facility in which you arrive at and leave the facility on the day the operation is performed.

What Will You Be Asked To Do Before Surgery?

Because blood transfusions may be required during surgery, particularly if you have very large breasts, You may want to talk your doctor about having blood drawn and "banked" prior to surgery. You may also be asked to abstain from eating and drinking for several hours before surgery, and will be advised regarding the use of any prescriptions or over-the-counter medications you take. If you smoke, you will be asked to stop before surgery, since smoking can retard the healing process.

You will be asked to arrive at the operating facility at least one hour before the surgery is scheduled, where you may be given preoperative sedation. Breast reduction is usually performed sleep throughout tile entire operation.

What Will Happen During Surgery ?

The surgery will take three to four hours, depending on the extent of the procedure. Generally, incisions are made horizontally and vertically following the natural contour of the breast. The vertical incision creates a key-hole-shaped pattern around the areola to allow the nipple to be repositioned.

Excess tissue, fat and skin are removed from the sides of the breast and around the areola. Then the nipple, areola and underlying tissue are moved to a new, higher location. If breasts are extremely large, the surgeon may completely detach the nipple before it is relocated.

When the nipple is repositioned, skin on both sides of the breast is moved down and around the areola and brought together to reform the breast. The incision will be closed with stitches under the breast and around the nipple. A gauze dressing may be applied or a surgical bra may be fitted.

How Will You foal After Surgery?

Following surgery, you will experience pain for a day or two that can be controlled with medication prescribed by your surgeon. Motion will be painful for a few days. If you were admitted to a hospital, you will be released in two or three days.

Pre-Operation	Post-Operation

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