Many women may experience that their breasts are quite large and out of proportion with the rest of their body. Help comes for such women with breast reduction surgeries. Such surgeries are carried out on women and occasionally on men to help them to reduce the size of their breasts. Also known as ‘reduction mammoplasty’, this procedure also has become very popular in the recent years.

Reasons for the procedure:

There may be various reasons for breast reduction. In men it could be due to the effects of gynecomastia. They may want to get rid of their excessive breast tissues by undergoing this surgery. In women this procedure is preferred for those suffering from gigantomastia since such large, pendulous breasts could cause them chronic pain in their neck, head, and shoulders as well. There may be many other reasons like:

• Counteracting drooping nature of breasts.
• Reducing discomfort caused by heavy breasts like brassiere straps abrading or irritation to skin.
• To do away with the awkwardness faced by such women with huge breasts and bring back confidence into their lives.

The process involved:

The breast reduction procedure involves reducing the size of breasts by doing away with excess skin or fat, breast implants, and glandular tissues. Prior to the surgery, the doctor may discuss with the patient concerning higher positions for the nipples and areolas. The patient is given an anesthesia before the actual surgery.

The recovery period varies from case to case though however you might need to take some care in the initial stages. The procedure used is completely safe and you can see visible recovery within two weeks of the surgery. Only in exceptional cases would your require a recovery period of more than some months. It is common to experience some discomfort during the first two weeks like bruising and swelling and you will be asked to stay away from heavy lifting and physical activities. Even during menstrual cycles, you may feel tenderness in your breasts after the operation.

Types of Breast Reduction:

The surgery could be quite simple for men since it would involve only making tiny incisions on each breast, leaving no scars at all. There are many different types of techniques used to perform breast reduction like:

1. Pedicle Method
2. Free Nipple Graft
3. Anchor Incision Method.
4. Le Jour Incision pattern.
5. Stevens Laser Bra

Results of Breast Reduction:

Though the results are visible within a few days, it may take a longer period of some months for the body to adjust with the new size of breasts. For some women there may be some discomfort  experienced early on during periods after the surgery and breast swelling.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Like any ordinary surgery, this procedure also has its own side effects like delayed wound healing, scarring, difficulty in feeding, fluid retention in the breasts, altered erogenous function, etc. Though the scars are quite obvious immediately after the operation, in a very short time they will fade away to fine lines.