| Dr. Gordon Mitts is a plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Here the Doctor has answered some of the common questions bizymoms visitors have about Breast Reduction surgery.
Q. What is Breast Reduction surgery?
A. Breast reduction surgery is a surgical procedure which is designed to reduce the volume of skin, fat, and glandular tissue from breasts in female patients whose breasts are considered to be oversized. It is a non cosmetic procedure which is not designed to be a substitute for cosmetic procedures such as a mastopexy or breasts lift.
Q. Who is a good candidate for a breast reduction?
A. Women who are good candidates for breast reduction surgery include those that have a large, pendulous breast, which cause back and neck pain. They also often have a skin rash underneath their breasts. They may have indentations in the shoulder muscles due to the indentations from their bra straps. For younger girls, having large breasts often makes them feel self-conscious.
Q. What are the benefits of breast reduction surgery?
A. The benefits of breast reduction surgery are many. These include relief from the back, neck, and shoulder pain. It also helps with the healing of the rash underneath the breasts. It is helpful in allowing the patient to look better in clothes and does help with her sense of well-being and self-esteem. It frequently allows the patient to become more mobile and more athletic allowing her to become more energetic and active. For the younger patients it frequently helps them change a socially embarrassing situation into one of normalcy and acceptance of her peers.
Q. What are the risks involved of breast reduction surgery?
A. The risks of breast reduction include: bleeding, infection, loss of feeling in the nipples or breasts, possible loss of skin and/or nipple tissue. There is the possibility of increased scarring and poor wound healing particularly with patients who are smokers. There is also a slight risk of complications with general anesthesia.
Q. What does breast reduction surgery involve?
A. Breast reduction surgery involves the patient being placed under general anesthesia for 2-4 hours. These procedures are to be done in a hospital setting or in a certified surgical center. These may be done on an outpatient basis. Some patients require an overnight stay. The procedure itself involves marking the patient’s breasts preoperatively, so that while she is under anesthesia breast tissue will be removed to make her breasts smaller in order to alleviate her preoperative symptoms. While we are doing this we will also be creating a new brassiere for out her own skin, which will elevate her nipple areola, complex effectively giving her a breast lift. This also gives her structural support for the weight of the remaining breast tissue. Following this, the incisions are sutured together in multiple layers forming a circular incision around the nipple, a vertical incision between the border of the nipple and the fold of the breast, and an incision in the crease of the wrist. Usually a drain is left in each breast for one to 2 days. The patient will have sterile dressings and a postoperative bra, which she will wear for several days. The postoperative pain usually is able to 5/10 for the first couple of days and is easily alleviated by normal pain medication.
Q. What should one expect after breast reduction surgery?
A. The patient should expect mild to moderate pain for the first couple of days. There may be also some nausea after anesthesia but this is unusual. The patient will be able to walk around and get up and go to the bathroom the day of surgery. She will start with a liquid diet and quickly advanced to regular food if there is no nausea. She will be restricted from getting her baths for the first 2 days but following that she may shower and bathe as normal. She will have to change the dressings of her breasts on a daily basis for about 2 weeks. She will likely wear some sort of postoperative bra, usually a sports bra. The patients are encouraged to use ice packs to the breasts for several days postoperatively to reduce swelling. This also greatly helps reducing the discomfort and decreases the need for pain medication. The patients are encouraged to move their arms freely, but to do no lifting over 15 pounds for the first 6 weeks. It is not unusual for the breasts to swell and hurt at the time of the first menstrual period. There also may be occasional shooting pains around the nipple area. This usually subsides in the first 6 weeks. There may be also some loss of sensation of the breast and nipple area in the early postoperative period. The majority of women regain the sensation in the nipple postoperatively. Sexual activity should be avoided for the first couple of weeks because the arousal can cause harm to the breasts, as well and stress the incision lines. All smoking should have ceased prior to the procedure and should not be restarted as it can delay wound healing. The patient should not take any over-the-counter or prescription medications containing aspirin or ibuprofen, until released to do so by her surgeon. By the first week to 10 days the patient should start feeling like her normal self with only the restriction of no lifting heavy objects or pushing and pulling with the arms.
Q. How much does a breast reduction cost?
A. The cost of the breast reduction is usually covered by insurance carriers. However, if insurance is not involved then the cost of the breast reduction, which is quoted by, my office includes my surgical fee, cost of the anesthesiologist, and the cost of the facility.
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