| Dr. Julius Few 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.
Q. What is breast reduction surgery?
A. A surgical procedure to reduce the size of the breast and appropriately lift the reduced breast.
Q. Who is a good candidate for a breast reduction?
A. Patients must be in good physical and emotional health, non-smokers, and within their ideal body weight.
Q. What are the risks involved of breast reduction surgery?
A. As with any surgery, breast reduction surgery carries some inherent risks. Those risks include bleeding, infection, bad scars, persistent hypersensitivity or lack of sensitivity of the nipples. Avoiding primary and secondary smoking will significantly reduce the risk of surgery. Obesity, uncontrolled diabetes, and tobacco use are the greatest risk factors.
Q. What does breast reduction surgery involve?
A. The technical aspects of breast reduction surgery will vary from patient to patient, as will the placement of the scar. Breast Reduction surgery can be done on an outpatient basis, under either general or twilight anesthesia. There is usually one week of downtime where patients are asked to limit their activity and the amount of weight lift. Typically after 2 weeks all of the post surgery restrictions are lifted. Most patients return to work 1 week post surgery. The procedure is technically done by sculpting the breast mound to size and tailoring the skin to match. This can often be done with a minor incision around the areola, and extending from the 6 o’clock position of the areola to the under fold of the breast. In some cases, there is a need for an incision (scar) under the breast fold.
Q. What should one expect after breast reduction surgery?
A. It is important for patients to have a detailed consultation with their plastic surgeon regarding their expectations after surgery as it relates to desired size and volume of the breasts. Often times a plastic surgeon may ask a patient to bring in photographs of their desired outcome, to help guide the discussions. Patients should expect that post op swelling may take several months to completely resolve, therefore their desired result may take that long to become apparent. Breast reduction surgery is one of the most exciting procedures for patients, as the after results are often times very dramatic and can change a patients quality of life. The vast majority of women will never require another breast surgery.
Q. How much does a breast reduction cost?
A. Cost varies and will depend on whether the patient qualifies for insurance coverage or not. The insurance process is very complicated and varies greatly between insurance providers. The starting cost for a breast reduction at the Few Institute is $7500, if the patient needs to pay out of pocket, depending on the needs of the patient. If insurance applies, the cost is subject to the terms of the insurance provider.
Q. What type of scarring should I expect?
A. The scar may either appear as a vertical line from the areola to the under crease of the breast - or an anchor scar which is a vertical line from the areola to the under crease of the breast - and then a horizontal line hid under the breast fold. I speak to each patient individually regarding what technique would provide the best result, with the minimum amount of scarring. Scars on light skin types usually fade away to a faint line, while scars on darker skin types may appear somewhat darker. For dark skin types we have a protocol in place that begins pre-surgery, to address post surgical scar concerns. I offer several techniques to fit the needs of the future patient.
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