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Breast reduction surgery is a commonly performed surgical procedure that is performed to reduce the size and weight of large breasts. Over 100,000 women had breast reduction surgery in order to mitigate the physical and emotional discomforts associated with large breasts. Breast reduction surgery is done for medical reasons, rather than cosmetic reasons, and is usually covered by health insurance.

Reasons to Undergo Beast Reduction Surgery 

There are a number of reasons why breast reduction surgery might be beneficial to a woman with large breasts. Women with large troublesome breasts can suffer from medical conditions such as:

• back and neck pain
• skeletal deformities
• skin irritations
• breathing problems
• shoulder indentations from bra straps

Many women with overly large breasts are unable to perform certain activities comfortably. Many women and teens are very self-conscious of their busts and may suffer adverse social and psychological hindrances.

Are You a Candidate? 

A good candidate for breast reduction surgery is a woman whose breasts are fully developed. In some more extreme cases breast reduction surgery can be performed on a woman whose breasts have not finished developing if they are causing significant problems. Scarring is common after breast reduction surgery. Women who undergo breast reduction surgery may lose the ability to breast feed in the future; therefore these issues should be discussed before deciding if the benefits of the procedure outweigh its possible risks. Women who seek breast reduction surgery should also be mature and possess realistic expectations about the procedure and its results. Prior to breast reduction surgery, patients should fully understand what to expect before, during and after the procedure.

Procedure 

During the breast reduction surgery procedure a patient is given a general anesthetic, so that she sleeps during the procedure. Though there are several techniques that can be utilized in breast reduction surgery, most commonly an anchor shaped incision is made which circles the areola, extends vertically down the center of the breast, and extends horizontally along the breast fold. Once the incision is made the surgeon will excise excess fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breast area. The nipple is then repositioned higher up on the breast. When fat removal is all that is necessary in breast reduction surgery, liposuction techniques can be employed which greatly reduce the later appearance of scars.

Recovery 

After the breast reduction surgery procedure is complete the surgeon will wrap the patient in gauze and elastic bandages which will be removed a few days later. Drains are often placed in each breast to stave of fluid accumulation. It is normal for patients to experience pain, swelling and bruising during the first week following breast reduction surgery. Patients will generally be able to resume all normal activities after four to six weeks.

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