Breast Reduction - Reduction Mammaplasty

There are countless causes leading to the formation of oversized breasts. In young women genetic predisposition plays a major role, but extra growth can also occur during pregnancy. During the menopause, hormonal activity is the cause of increased fat deposits in the breasts leading to a vast increase in size. Irrespective of the cause, the force of gravity and its resulting strain stretch the surrounding tissue, which will become increasingly weaker with age. Breasts become saggy and stretch marks can appear.

If breasts are too large, they often appear excessively disproportionate, thus having an overall negative effect on the body’s appearance as a whole. As well as this, they can cause a multitude of physical complaints such as the following: the weight of the breasts causes the bra-straps to uncomfortably dig into the skin; women often have to limit physical, strenuous activities and sports despite wearing a sports bra; the discovery of breast cancer through touch or mammography is made more difficult; in many cases there is a damaging change in posture, causing anything from back pain, through neck pain to loss of sensation in the hands. Breast reduction surgery will effectively put an end to these complaints.

Breast reduction surgery involves removing surplus breast and fat tissue, reducing the size of the nipples where necessary, and newly shaping and tightening the breasts to bring them back into proportion. The operation results in significantly better breast shape and considerably less weight to the breasts. For women still planning to have children, the operation does not pose any problems as the ability to breastfeed is not usually affected. Regardless of the operating technique used, its goal is on maintaining blood circulation and sensation in the nipples. All operation techniques leave scarring around the nipples and vertically down to the folds on the underside of the breasts. As a rule, this incision is then extended to become the so-called “inverted T-incision” (see diagram, incision 1). If there is no need for any major correction, then there is also a technique leaving minimal scarring. This technique (see diagram, incision 2) does not require an incision in the crease on the underside of the breast. However, the skin along the vertical scar has to be gathered more. To determine what the right procedure is for you as an individual, we will be happy to inform you in an obligation-free consultation.

Pre-surgery

Before the operation, you should have necessary precautionary examinations and talk over the results with our anaesthetist. The surgery is normally carried out under general anaesthetic during a 2 to 3 day stay in hospital. You will receive further aftercare in the practice on an outpatient basis. Drainage tubes inserted during surgery are normally removed in the days following the operation and then the bandage removed in the days after that.

You should make an appointment with your gynaecologist beforehand and also possibly have a mammogram in advance of surgery.

Aftercare and Recovery

You should take time to rest and recover after surgery. Any resulting swelling, bleeding and numbness in the nipples usually completely disappear. Breast reduction or breast lifting leaves visible scarring, but it can be effectively concealed behind a bra or swimwear. Should you be able to have surgery using the minimal scarring technique 2, then the resulting folds of skin will smooth out over the following 2 to 3 months and the initially high-positioned breast will gradually sink. It will be necessary to wear a support bra for around 6 weeks after surgery