Breast Reduction Surgery

Breasts are inevitable part of beauty in women.

Breasts are inevitable part of beauty in women. Although large breasts seem attractive in very young ages, they lose their shape and sag due to effect of gravity in a short time. Changes in bodyweight and pregnancies also cause further enlargement and sagging of breasts. Large breasts may make women feel more overweight and older than they actually are. They may lead to sense of shame for young girls especially in adolescence. Young girls with large breasts start to hunch their back to hide them, they wear oversize clothes, avoid fitting clothes and sport activities.

Large breasts cause neck, back and shoulder pain and they lead to permanent disorders in spine in time. Bra straps deform shoulders after a while. Skin of the inframmary fold irritates secondary to persistent exposure to sweat and poor aeration, resulting in dermal conditions. Women with large breasts have to live with pain in shoulder, neck and back.

Breast reduction surgeries intend to reduce the size of breasts proportionally with the patient’s body. During this procedure, the breast is also lifted and given a conical shape.

Three fundamental procedures are performed in breast reduction: Lifting the nipple, reducing the breast, creating a conical shape and removing the excess skin.

All patients with large breast are suitable candidates for breast reduction surgeries. A part of them is young patients with large breasts, while others are middle aged women who have breasts that enlarged and sagged due to childbirth and weight gain. The other group includes patients who have enlarged breasts secondary to postmenopausal weight gain.

For young girls, it is necessary to postpone the surgery until the breasts get their final form. If the breast continues to grow, it is rational to postpone the procedure. However, the procedure can be carried out earlier for young girls with “Virginal Hypertrophy”, who have uncontrollably growing breasts. The general rule is not to operate on the patients who are younger than 18. Otherwise, breast reduction procedures can be performed for all patients unless there is a special health problem that contraindicates the surgery.

Breast reduction surgery is performed under general anesthesia in operating theatre.

Every patient should have mammography/breast ultrasound before breast reduction surgery. Radiologic imaging is crucial for follow-ups, before the procedure is carried out in the breast. Mammography/breast ultrasound is repeated 1 year after the surgery.

The surgery lasts for 2 to 3 hours. The bigger the breasts are, the longer the surgery takes.

Breast reduction surgeries are among the aesthetic procedures that are associated with the least pain. Mild pain can be expected in first several days, but they can be managed with simple painkillers.

Patients can eat and stand up 3 hours after the surgery. Patients are asked to stay at hospital overnight after breast surgeries. The incision is covered with a small wound dressing. Patients may take a bath in and after postoperative Day 2. Patients visit our clinic for follow-up examination three days after the surgery; then, they may engage in routine daily activities and drive. Sport activities are not allowed for the first 3 weeks, except for walking. Patients should necessarily wear sports bra throughout the day (both daytime and night) for the first 3 weeks. All sport activities other than arm and chest training are allowed following postoperative week three. All sports activities can be done after the sixth week.

Following breast reduction surgery that will provide you with freedom, help you get rid of neck and back pain and make you look fit and young, you can return to your work life after resting for a few days.

Studies compared lactation rates between the women, who are undergone breast reduction surgery, and women with large breasts, who are undergone breast reduction surgery, and they reported comparable results in most of those women. It can be expressed that the women who have undergone breast reduction have the same lactation rates with other women.

Temporary sensorial deficit may develop after breast reduction surgeries. Permanent sensorial deficit may also develop in too large and sagging breasts, although this condition is quite rare. Nipples regain their sensitivity a few months after the surgery. Moreover, many women undergoing breast reduction surgery state that their nipples are more sensitive after the surgery.

Three fundamental procedures are performed in breast reduction: Nipple is lifted, excess breast tissue is removed, breast is shaped and finally, the excess skin tissue is removed. The length of scar depends on size of breast, severity of sagging and elasticity of the skin. All scars get unclear in time and they become barely recognizable.

Since breast mass is reduced with breast reduction, the risk of cancer diminishes. Various studies have demonstrated that breast reduction surgery decreases risk of cancer by 27-70%. All specimens excised in a breast reduction surgery are sent to pathology department for examination. This provides very crucial follow-up information for the future. Moreover, cancer can be incidentally diagnosed in this way. In this case, the patients’ lives are saved.