Breast reduction surgery, otherwise known as a boob reduction or reduction mammoplasty procedure, is a form of surgery which, as the name suggests, is performed to reduce the size of the breasts. Although it is talked about much less than is enlargement counterpart, it’s actually the second most commonly performed cosmetic surgical procedure in the UK.
It can be performed for a number of different reasons, some women who undergo the surgery opt for it simply for cosmetic reasons like wanting to ensure that their breasts have a balanced and even size or feel that they would prefer smaller breasts to match their body proportions. Other women however feel that this form of surgery is their only option due to the pains caused by having larger breasts.
What would make me a good candidate for breast reduction surgery?
Realistically, anyone who is unhappy with the size of their breasts is an applicable candidate to undergo a breast reduction surgery procedure. As we explained earlier, some patients choose this surgery for cosmetic reasons and others choose it to mitigate or get rid of any pain or physical symptoms that they experience because of their breasts.
The most common cosmetic reasons that we see are;
- Unevenly shaped or sized breasts
- Desire to change the look of the patient’s breasts
- Receiving unwanted attention due to the size of the patient’s breasts
And the most common physical/pain related reasons that we see are;
- Neck, back and shoulder pains
- Mobility issues
- Discomfort during physical activity
- Irritation of the skin where the breasts touch the torso
We would consider an ideal candidate to be both physically and emotionally healthy, as well as not currently being pregnant/nursing or planning to be in the very near future. Something that needs to be noted is that breast reduction surgery can (although it isn’t a certainty to) affect and impact your ability to breast feed an infant.
What type of results can I achieve with a breast reduction?
The aim of a breast reduction surgery is to reduce the size of the breasts and remove excess skin and tissue to give you breasts which make you feel more confident in yourself, in addition to being more proportionate to the rest of your body. The surgery itself can in some cases also require the repositioning of the nipple and areola to give a natural appearance.
We also find that some women opt to combine breast reduction surgery with a breast uplift surgery to maximise their results, although generally with smaller reductions we find that this is not the case.
What are the different kinds of incisions (and what about scarring)?
As it is a surgical procedure, the surgeon is required to make a number of small incisions on each breast to remove the excess tissue and skin and these are where your scars will be after recovery. All of the incisions made will be performed to minimise the risk of visible scarring and are performed in areas that generally are considered able to be hidden.
The type of incision required is entirely dependent on how much skin and tissue is to be removed during the surgery, the more that has to be removed ultimately makes the incision larger. There are three types of incision that are commonly used in breast reduction surgery and these are;
- Circumareolar (also known as a donut) incision which is performed as a circular incision around the areola. This form of incision is suitable for small reductions.
- Vertical (also known as a lollipop) incision which is performed as a circle around the areola and then down to the crease of the breast. This is the most commonly seen method and is suitable for small to moderate reductions.
- Inverted-T (also known as an anchor) incision is performed as a circle around the areola, down to the crease of the breast and then continues across the crease of the breast, hence the name inverted-T or anchor. This method is more commonly seen in larger reductions.
So is there anything specific I should know?
There are a few things that some people wish they would have known before going under the knife for a breast reduction surgery.
For example, in some cases it’s entirely possible that following your surgery you may now need to go and buy new clothes. Shirts, coats, dresses etc. that all used to fit your chest may now be too big for you (depending on the level of reduction that you have had) and it may mean that after you have recovered that you need to take a trip out and get buying.
Breastfeeding may also become more challenging. Although this isn’t anywhere near as bad as it was years ago where the nipple would be removed and grafted back on during surgery which made it completely impossible, it is still one of the ways that your body can be affected so it you are planning on having children or breastfeeding, it’s important to bear this in mind.
In some cases, some areas of the breast may remain numb for years after the surgery (and in some cases it may be forever). After surgery, there is an incredibly high chance for there to be numbness in the areola and nipple due to the swelling but most women don’t continue to have longer term numbness. In some cases though, the numbness can continue for some time after the recovery period.
Lastly, your recovery period is incredibly important to ensure that you heal correctly and don’t overexert yourself. You will have just had a major surgical procedure performed and as with any surgical procedure, your body needs time to heal and get back to it’s best.