Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast reduction surgery is an outpatient procedure with a modest recovery time. It has been said that breast reduction surgery has the highest satisfaction rating following surgery of all forms of plastic surgery. Many say that the relief from pain and physical stress caused by extremely large breasts was well worth the time and recovery cost. Any surgery will have a process that includes an initial consultation, the surgery and then a recovery period. This page will cover each of these breast reduction surgery stages in detail.

Before Brest Reduction Surgery

Prior to breast reduction surgery, a potential patient will need to set up a consultation with a qualified surgeon. Finding the right surgeon can be a challenge and that's why this site features a directory of surgeon's to help you find one in your geographic area.

Once a qualified breast reduction surgeon is found, the potential patient should set up a time for an initial consultation. During this consultation, the surgeon will evaluate the patients breast and may take pictures as needed. The breasts may be weighed and measured and compared to the patient's body mass index. These measurements are sometimes required by insurance companies as these are a quantitative measure of the need for breast reduction surgery. A surgeon can help make the case for surgery with a patient's insurance company and sometimes a letter or recommendation is required.

After a consultation, a day for surgery may be scheduled up to several months later. Sometimes, a surgeon will want to meet a couple weeks before the breast reduction to take additional photos of the patient for surgery preparation. The doctor will also give the patient a list of guidelines to follow prior to surgery. Some of these guidelines include:

• No smoking prior to surgery. A patient who is a smoker will need to quit smoking for two or three months before breast reduction surgery. Smoking can cause complications related to blood supply to the nipple areolar complex. A history of smoking at all creates surgical risks and a patient should be honest with her breast reduction surgeon about this.
• No aspirin, blood-thinning medications or supplements prior to surgery or immediately after. Aspirin, blood-thinning medications and some supplements pose bleeding risks in breast reduction surgery. Because of this, your surgeon will want you to discontinue the use of these at least two weeks before surgery and during the healing process.

In some cases doctors have computer programs that can simulate the results that can be obtain with surgery.

Breast Reduction Surgery Day

On the day of surgery, the patient will meet with the breast reduction surgeon prior to undergoing anesthesia.

The surgeon will mark the breasts while the patient is sitting up as the incision lines are based on standing position. Also, the breast shape is much different while prone. The marks offer the surgeon guidance for incisions during breast reduction surgery.

After the patient is marked for surgery, anesthesia is administered. The vast majority of breast reductions are performed under general anesthesia. In general anesthesia the entire body is affected and the patient is "asleep" during the entire surgery. Local anesthesia is far less common and is mostly used in liposuction-only breast reduction procedures. Local anesthesia only numbs the site of the surgery, but the patient may be given a drug to induce drowsiness and ease the process.

Once sedated, the surgeon will perform the breast reduction surgery according to the pre-chosen technique. The surgery lasts anywhere from one and a half to three hours. The length of the surgery depends on the number of incisions and amount of skin and tissue removed. Though there are a variety of breast reduction techniques, all involve removing tissue from the breast and realigning the nipple areolar complex in most surgeries. After skin and tissue are removed, the surgeon will make sutures deep in the breast tissue. Sometimes, the surgeon will add tiny tubes to drain fluid, which will be removed a day or two after breast reduction surgery.

The patient will be taken to a room to recover from anesthesia before traveling home and the surgeon will check on the patient before she leaves. The breasts will be wrapped with a dressing and the patient will be given a medical brassiere for support for the next several days. Breast reduction is an out-patient procedure, but the patient cannot drive after surgery and will need to enlist someone to serve as a driver for the ride home.

After Breast Reduction Surgery

Following breast reduction surgery, the patient will need a driver to safely travel home. The first days after surgery will require lots of rest.

The breasts will be bruised and swollen and the surgeon will prescribe medication for pain and discomfort. The patient will need to continue to wear a surgical brassiere around the clock to prevent gravity from putting pressure on the sutures.

The breast reduction surgeon will want to meet the patient 24 to 72 hours after surgery. At this meeting the breast reduction doctor can ensure that recovery is on the proper course. New dressing may be applied and any tiny drainage tubes that were used will be removed. The doctor can also answer any questions about further recovery from the breast reduction and what to expect going forward.

For the first two weeks after a breast reduction is very important to avoid any strain or physically strenuous activity. This includes sexual activity. The arms should not be raised above the head at all. Even if there is no pain in raising the arms, doing so could cause additional scarring under the arms. After the first week of recovery, swelling and bruising will subside and the patient may confidently return to work. She will still need to wear a 24-hour support bra and avoid strain.

During the third and fourth week of recovery, the breast reduction patient may begin to re-engage is some more physical activity. However, the patient should ultimately heed the advice of the breast reduction surgeon. At the end of the fourth week, the scarring will have subsided greatly and the long-term results of the surgery will be visible. Though, it will take six months to a year to see the final results of the breast reduction and the ultimate look of incision lines. Each patient heals differently, but following the doctor's guidelines is the best way to ensure proper healing with minimal complication.