Are You Considering Breast Reduction Surgery?
Women with exceptionally large, heavy breasts typically experience a variety of concerns caused by the excessive weight of their breasts. Women experience back and neck pain, skin irritation (rashes), skin indentations/grooves, skeletal deformities, and breathing problems. Extremely large breasts often limit the type of clothing women can wear and their ability to exercise comfortably. Many women are very self-conscious of their overly large breasts and eventually seek a reduction of their breasts. Breast reduction, technically known as reduction mammaplasty, is designed for such women
Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Leach explains to his patients that the objective of reduction mammaplasty is to reduce the size of your breasts and reshape them so that they are no longer causing discomfort and so that they are more proportional to your body.
Dr. Leach is frequently asked during the consultative process if he can also perform a “lift” while doing the reduction. A “lift” is always a part of this operation. This helps improve the aesthetic outcome and brings the breasts back up onto the chest wall. A breast reduction helps dramatically with the resolution of back and neck pain.
Are You A Candidate for Breast Reduction Surgery?
Before
After
You may be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery if your breasts are:
- Too large for your body frame
- Causing chronic back, shoulder and/or neck pain
- Causing bra strap grooves in your shoulders
- Causing some difficulty breathing
- Asymmetrical (one breast much larger than the other breast)
- Causing skin irritation (rashes) underneath your breasts
- Causing posture problems
- Making you unhappy or self-conscious about your appearance
Candidates for breast reduction range in age from their late teens to their seventies. The younger patients are counseled that after surgery that there is only about a 50% chance of being able to breastfeed. If they think this may be important to them, surgery should not be done before they have children. The only complaint Dr. Leach frequently hears from his older patients is they wish they had done breast reduction surgery 20 years earlier!
Breast Reduction Surgery & Recovery
Breast reduction surgery removes fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the breasts, making them smaller, lighter, and firmer. It can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. Breast reduction surgery is performed in an accredited surgical center and patients are discharged home with their arranged caretaker. The surgery can take several hours, dependent upon the extent of the reduction and reconstruction involved. Dr. Leach begins the breast reduction surgery by removing the excess breast tissue, fat, and skin. He then proceeds to move, the nipple and areola to a higher position on the breasts. The areolas may be reduced in size. In some cases, liposuction may be used to improve the contour under the arm. The overall goal is to achieve the look of smaller, better-shaped breasts in proportion to the rest of the body.
Drains are sometimes placed on the breasts to collect excess fluid and a compression post-op bra will be wrapped around your breasts. Dr. Leach and his nursing team will discuss your personalized post-surgical recovery plan prior to the surgery.
Select a plastic surgeon with surgical skill and experience. Dr. Thomas A. Leach is a Board Certified Cosmetic, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon serving the Princeton, New Jersey area for more than 29 years. Contact our office today to schedule your breast reduction consultation.
