Caring for your breast reduction surgery, before and after the operation

Breast reduction, otherwise known as reduction mammaplasty, is a surgical procedure that removes breast fat, tissue and skin from the breasts, helping to adapt the breasts to a patient’s functional and aesthetic requirements.

Here, Miss Kerstin Oestreich, highly skilled consultant plastic, cosmetic and hand surgeon, provides an expert insight into breast reduction surgery, including preparation, types of scarring, and aftercare.

Who is the best candidate for breast reduction surgery?

Breast reduction is a procedure usually very well-regarded by women who have large breasts, and this can be due to various reasons.

Most women with large breasts suffer at some point in their life from back pain, neck pain and shoulder pain. With very large breasts, it is also very difficult to do the exercises that can alleviate this type of joint pain, meaning that women are limited with their exercising.

As well as this, large breasts can sometimes limit the type of clothes that women are able to wear, which can knock their confidence and cause them to feel unhappy.

Very interestingly, a study in Scandinavia also showed that women who have breast reduction surgery ultimately have a slightly lower risk of developing breast cancer – and only because the amount of breast tissue had been reduced. Of course, this should not be a reason for having breast reduction surgery, but it is an added bonus of the procedure.

How should I prepare for breast reduction surgery, and what steps should I take to ensure a smooth and successful recovery?

I would first suggest women to consider if they are going to lose any weight in the near future. This is because a change in overall weight will lead to changes in the shape of the breasts, meaning that the outcome of the breast reduction surgery will change. For this reason, women who wish to undergo breast reduction surgery are recommended to lose any weight first, before going ahead with the procedure.

Secondly, women should consider if they are going to have more children and/or if they are going to breastfeed their children. This is because all of these factors – as well as any hormonal changes in the body – will lead to changes in the shape of the breasts, affecting the outcome of surgery.

The best time to go ahead with the procedure is when a woman is confident that nothing major will change in her personal life in the near future. There is not a lot of preparation involved, and women who wish to undergo breast reduction surgery can book a consultation with a plastic surgeon straight away to find out which type of breast reduction would suit them best.

What are the different types of breast reduction surgery, and how do they differ in terms of incision size, scarring, and recovery time?

There are various types of breast reduction. The size of a woman’s breasts will determine the type of breast reduction that can be offered to her.

With most types, the scarring is very similar. There is a scar around the areola, which normally becomes a little bit smaller. The areola and the nipple are lifted up in the correct position, and then there is a vertical scar underneath the areola to the inframammary fold, called the breast crease.

Depending on the size of the breast reduction, some women might only have a very small incision and a small resultant scar in the breast crease. This is called a lollipop scar, because it looks a bit like a lollipop.

In larger breast reductions, women are likely to have a scar in the breast crease, as well. This is called an inverted T-scar.

As well as outside, there are also different ways to perform inside breast reductions, which affect how the skin and tissue are reconfigured and shuffled around. However, this is a more technical aspect to breast reduction that is not visible from the outside.

Above all, woman with very large, very low-sitting breasts should know that their areola and their nipple might need to be removed completely. This is called a free nipple graft, where the nipple is taken off, the breast reduction is performed, and then the areola and the nipple are put back on the breast as tissue or as a skin graft. This is done this way because the blood supply to the areola would otherwise not survive surgery if it is a very large breast reduction – thus, the free nipple graft is a type of safety measure.

What are the expected long-term results of breast reduction surgery, and how can I maintain these results over time?

Breast reduction will almost immediately relieve back pain, backache and heavy breast weight. The other benefit to the procedure is that women will be able to do exercises much more easily and maintain their body weight with exercise.

However, it important to know that every woman’s breasts will droop at some point in life. Wearing good bras can delay this droop. Thus, my top tip after breast reduction surgery is to invest and always wear really good supportive bras that prolong the results of the reduction.

Similarly, it is important to know that if weight is gained or lost, then the shape of the breasts will also change. Ideally, women should think about their overall weight and consider any changes before going ahead with breast reduction surgery.

Miss Kerstin Oestreich is a highly respected consultant plastic, cosmetic and hand surgeon with over 30 years’ experience.

If you are considering breast reduction surgery and would like to consult your options with an expert, do not hesitate to book an appointment with Miss Oestreich via her Top Doctors profile today.