Understanding the Procedure for Breast Reduction

There are millions of men and women who suffer from breasts that are too large and may require a breast reduction procedure in order to help with this. Various health problems can arise from breasts that are too large including pain in the shoulder, back, and neck. Other problems include deformations that form in the body including depressions in the shoulders because of this condition as well. It can get to the point where it is almost completely unbearable for you to deal with the pain on a daily basis, and the only solution will be having a breast reduction procedure done.

Most of the time this type of surgery is done in an outpatient setting. The surgery itself only takes around 3 to 4 hours overall and is a fairly simple process in general. To begin the process, you will need to consult with your desired plastic surgeon. He or she will want to do a breast exam as well as discuss your medical and drug history. They will need to know about any and all medical problems you currently have, surgeries and medical procedures you have had done in the past, as well as medications you may currently be taking.

From there, they will begin a medical file on your breasts. They will evaluate the size, shape, skin color, and other aspects of your breasts. They will also begin to move forward and schedule the necessary appointments and the surgery date.

There are numerous types of techniques and procedures to choose from. When you have your consultation with your surgeon, you will be able to get a better understanding of what is involved with each procedure as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each. You will also be able to pick which surgery or procedure you wish to have done based on your personal needs and what best suits you and your overall goals and health.

The most common technique used involves 3 incisions around the areola of the breast and nipple. The surgeon then removes breast tissue, skin, and fat in order to reduce the overall size of your breast. The first incision goes around the underside of the areola. After this, another incision is made going from the first incision and down the breast toward the stomach. One more is made horizontally in the crease under your breast. If the amount of tissue that needs to be removed is fairly small, the surgeon may choose to avoid this horizontal cut.

Most of the time the areola and nipple are moved to a different location on the breast in order to maintain appearance and an overall natural look. The areola is also made smaller most of the time it is often times stretched due to larger breasts. A large majority of the time the nipple and areola are kept connected to the connecting tissue mounds of tissue. This allows you to preserve physical sensations as well as the possibility of breast feeding, however, there is no guarantee that this will be the case for you as it is not 100% of the time successful.

Recovery From Surgery

You will immediately be able to notice a difference in your breast size after surgery. Within 24 hours of the surgery, your surgeon will require you to get up and move around to ensure that you are able to be active even after such a procedure. You will want to take it easy for a few weeks following the surgery however as it is possible to damage your breasts or cause bleeding if you over do it with physical activity. You need to give yourself time to recover and heal.

After you are released, you will be required to wear a bra that is able to provide support and help reduce swelling in your breasts. Your doctor will give you guidance and advice on how to do this as best as possible. He will also give you medication to help deal with the pain and the inflammation. The degree of pain and inflammation will vary from one person to the next, so it's difficult to say exactly what kind of discomfort you may experience.