A breast reduction is a surgical procedure that removes excess breast fat, excess skin and excess breast tissue to give breasts a size proportional to the body. The breast reduction alleviates discomfort and improves self-esteem.

Just as many women would like bigger breasts, many others want to reduce them. Big breasts can not only cause discomfort and lack of self-confidence; they also cause health problems. Having big breasts is a health condition known as breast hypertrophy that produces back pain, bad posture, and pain. There is a surgical procedure called breast reduction or Reduction Mammaplasty that removes excess health fat.

After a breast reduction patients not only improve their self-esteem but their general health condition. Back pain and neck pain caused by bra straps disappears and patient’s self image also improves significantly.

Other benefits of a breast reduction include improving problems related to normal life activities such as getting dressed, physical activity and many others. A breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty can also achieve symmetry of both breasts.

A breast reduction is recommended for women that have overly large breasts that cause medical problems such as back pain, neck pain, difficulties when sleeping and emotional difficulties. In general a breast reduction surgery is performed when a woman has:

It is recommended to perform a breast reduction surgery after the patient has decided not to have more kids, as pregnancy and breast feeding can affect the results of the surgery. It is not however a requisite and the main motivation to undergo the surgery should be to improve the health condition and self-confidence.

The breast reduction surgery is usually performed under general anesthesia. There are different types of incisions that include the circular pattern incision around the areola, the racquet-shaped incision and the inverted T incision. With the circular pattern incision scars are permanent and may be visible although they are generally covered by the bra or swimming suit. The racquet-shaped incision is performed around the areola and vertically down to the breast crease.

Once the incisions are performed, excess fat, excess skin and excess tissue are removed. The nipple is repositioned and the size of the areola is reduced if necessary. The remaining breast tissue is shaped and lifted. After this procedure the breast looses weight and recovers the shape producing a better aesthetical appearance.

Finally sutures are placed on the deeper mammary tissue to support the new shaped breast. Skin is closed with stitches or surgical tapes. Once the surgery has finished bandages are placed over incision lines. It is recommended to use a bra or elastic bandages to prevent swelling. In some cases a drain will be placed under the skin to prevent fluid build up after the surgery.

It is important to start physical activity as soon as possible. Patients should get up from bed and walk during some on the first and second days after the surgery. After time passes patients will feel more but it is important to avoid weight lifting or bending down because this can increase the chances of breast swellings.

You should use the bra as a support during the first weeks after the breast reduction and until the swelling has disappeared. Sutures will be removed approximately 2 weeks after the surgery.

It is possible that you loose some sensibility in the nipples and incisions may be visible and red after the surgery. Redness may disappear after some months but incisions are permanent, although they are placed in places that can be covered by clothes.

Results of a breast reduction surgery are long lasting, however as time passes your breasts may loose their shape due to the regular aging process. Fortunately however, this problem may be corrected with a breast lift.

After a breast reduction surgery you will feel more attractive, younger and more self-confident.