Breast Reduction
Overview | FAQ | Photo Gallery
- What is breast reduction surgery?
- Will my insurance cover the cost of breast reduction?
- What is the youngest age that breast reductions are usually performed?
- What type of scarring should I expect?
- How is the nipple/areola sensitivity affected during breast reduction surgery?
- Where are the incisions made during a breast reduction?
- Are there any alternatives to the inverted-T incision?
- How painful is breast reduction surgery?
- Do breast reductions require blood transfusions?
- Does the breast reduction procedure require any medical tests prior to surgery?
- Is breast reduction by liposuction a good idea?
What is breast reduction surgery?
Breast reduction surgery, or mammaplasty, is performed to reduce the size of large breasts and enhance their shape, symmetry, and proportionality to the rest of the body.
Will my insurance cover the cost of breast reduction?
Insurance companies usually cover the cost of a breast reduction when the purpose of breast reduction is to alleviate physical discomfort and pain caused by oversized breasts. A unilateral breast reduction should also be covered if the asymmetry resulted from a breast cancer operation. However, each medical insurance company has its own coverage criteria you will need to contact a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, who will evaluate your needs and contact your insurance company to pre-determine coverage. Healthcare financing may also be available for breast reduction surgery motivated by medical need if your insurance covers only part, or none of your surgical cost. Unfortunately, recent changes in insurance policy have led to stricter criteria for breast reductive surgery candidates.
What is the youngest age that breast reductions are usually performed?
While breast reduction surgery is recommended to patients who have completed their breast development, the surgery can rarely be performed on a teenager who demonstrates grossly enlarged breasts, termed juvenile breast hypertrophy. In such cases, breast reduction surgery can be performed on patients as young as 14 or 15, depending on the severity of the symptoms and the maturity and determination of the patient. The typical patient presents after childbirth and completion of nursing and complains of enlargement of her breasts during pregnancy that did not return to their pre-pregnancy state.
What type of scarring should I expect?
The type of scarring depends on the type of breast reduction procedure performed. Traditional breast reduction surgery produces anchor-like scars that extend around the nipple, down the middle of the breast, and under the fold of the breast, termed the infra-mammary crease. Vertical incision breast reductions create shorter scars that also surround the nipple and extend vertically down the breast, but do not continue under the breast. Liposuction breast reduction usually leaves minor scars under the breast fold. Although scarring is a factor that should be considered by patients desiring breast reduction surgery, patients should keep in mind that surgical incisions are required to resect unwanted breast tissue. Additionally, scars that result from breast reduction surgery can usually be hidden under bras or bathing suit tops. Finally, sutures that are used today are far superior to those used less than a decade ago and allow plastic surgeons to achieve significantly lighter and thinner scars.
How is the nipple/areola sensitivity affected during breast reduction surgery?
In most cases, the nipple and areola remain attached to their nerves during the operation and thus are generally not affected by breast reduction surgery. The nipple and areola are usually moved by relocating the entire gland and supporting structures to a higher more aesthetically pleasing location on the breast mound. Loss of feeling in the nipple area usually persists for the first several weeks after surgery and no longer than a few months. In some cases however, permanent loss of nipple sensation may be caused by nerve damage as these nerves are extremely thin and not detectable by the naked eye.
Where are the incisions made during a breast reduction?
Traditional breast reduction surgery requires an incision that circles the areola, extends vertically downward toward the bottom of the breast, and continues under the fold of the breast, called the inframammary crease. This incision is anchor shaped and called an inverted-T incision. A second favorite technique termed the Vertical Reduction limits the incisions to around the areola and a single downward incision toward the bottom of the breast. Although this technique does limit the surgical incisions, it is limited to patients who have preoperative breast shapes that are wide in shape and not long in shape.
Are there any alternatives to the inverted-T incision?
The alternative to an inverted-T incision is a more novel technique called the Vertical Reduction. This method reduces the scarring significant by minimizing or even eliminating the incision beneath the breast when compared to the inverted-T incision.
How painful is breast reduction surgery?
Breast reduction surgery is typically performed on patients under general anesthesia. Postoperative pain following surgery is minimal as tissue dissection is limited to only the skin and fat and does not involve the muscle which is much more sensitive. Patients usually need limited pain medication after surgery and can return to work after about 2 weeks if their job does not require strenuous activity.
Do breast reductions require blood transfusions?
The need for blood transfusions during breast reduction surgery is extremely rare.
Does the breast reduction procedure require any medical tests prior to surgery?
On your initial visit, your surgeon will evaluate your health status. If you are 40 years or older or if you have had a personal or family history of breast symptoms (tenderness, lumps, nipple discharge) you will have to obtain a mammogram. Additionally, routine lab work such as EKG will be required if you are older than 55 years of age.
Is breast reduction by liposuction a good idea?
Liposuction breast reduction is a new procedure that has advantages of less scarring, increased likelihood of maintaining nursing ability, and a lower risk of losing breast and nipple sensation. However, liposuction only removes fat from the breast and is suitable only for patients that require mild breast reduction, have minimal skin looseness, and do not demonstrate drooping of the nipple and areola complex. Liposuction is more effective for younger women have may have enlarged breast tissue but maintain a tight breast skin envelope. Patients who need significant breast reduction will gain more substantial results with the traditional breast reduction method where both skin and underlying fat must be removed.
