| Dr. Gregory Turowski 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. These procedures are designed to reduce size of the breasts. Large breasts are frequently associated with upper back/neck pain, shoulder grooving, under breast skin irritation. Therefore, most of these procedures are potentially covered by health insurance. Each patient has to be individually approved by her insurance company.
Q. Who is a good candidate for a breast reduction?
A. Anyone who is in good general health is a good candidate. There is no age limit, however the procedure should be avoided in girls less than 18 years old. There are exceptions in younger girls with so called "gigantomastia" who are seriously troubled by extremely large breasts, but these cases have to evaluated on individual basis. There is no upper age limit, and the procedure can be safely performed in medically stable older women.
Q. What are the benefits of breast reduction surgery?
A. Better shape and younger appearance of the breasts and getting rid of the back and shoulder pain
Q. What are the risks involved of breast reduction surgery?
A. The risks include any typical risks of surgical procedure like bleeding and infection. These are extremely rare. Loss of the nipple has been described but it is exceptionally rare
Q. What does breast reduction surgery involve?
A. There are several techniques of breast reduction procedure. Generally they are either conventional inverted "T" techniques or vertical "lollipop" type surgery. Both are great ways to reduce breasts and have advantages and disadvantages. I utilize both techniques for breast reduction. The choice which technique is used depends mostly on the size/shape of patient’s breasts and her desires for the size change. This is usually discussed in detail during a personal consultation. The procedure can be performed under general anesthesia or IV sedation and typically is done on the outpatient basis
Q. What should one expect after breast reduction surgery?
A. Breast reduction is typically an outpatient procedure (patient returns home after she has recovered from anesthesia). However, to accommodate some patients’ needs an overnight stay and nursing support can be arranged. After the procedure, the patient is placed in elastic, compressive bra. The bra can be removed after 2 days, when the routine activities can be resumed. The sports bra should be worn for three weeks after the procedure. There is usually minimal discomfort in the first couple of days after the procedure, well controlled with oral medications. Sports and exercises can be resumed within few weeks.
Q. How much does a breast reduction cost?
A. It is usually covered by the insurance. If patient is not covered by the insurance the typical cost is around $ 7000
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