Breast Reduction Surgery
When your breasts are brought into better proportion with your body, you can move more freely and feel relief from the neck, shoulder, and back pain that has weighed on you each day.
Is this right for you?
This is a decision you should make for yourself, for your own health and comfort, not to satisfy what someone else wants or to chase a particular ideal. A consultation lets your surgeon look closely at whether this approach is right for you.
This may be a good fit if
- You are in good physical health and hold realistic expectations about what surgery can offer
- You feel burdened by breasts that are too large, and their weight limits your physical activity
- You have neck or shoulder pain caused by the weight of your breasts, or you notice ongoing grooves left by your bra straps
- You have skin irritation under the breast crease, or your breasts hang low, stretching the skin and widening the areola
- You do not smoke, or you are willing to stop smoking before surgery
This may not be right if
- You currently smoke and are not ready to stop, because this raises the risks during wound healing
- You are planning to have children and want to breastfeed, because this ability may be limited after surgery
- Your breasts have not finished developing, because this surgery is carried out once breast growth is complete
- You expect a result that will not change over time, when breasts can still shift with age, weight, hormones, and illness
How it works
Everything begins with a consultation with a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery. The safety and the outcome of your surgery depend a great deal on how clearly, fully, and honestly you share your history. You will be asked about your reasons for wanting surgery and your expectations, your general health, your medical history, the medications and herbal supplements you take, any past surgeries, and your family history of breast cancer.
Your surgeon will examine your breasts, take detailed measurements of their size and shape, assess your skin quality and the position of your nipples and areolae, and take photographs for your medical record. From there, your surgeon discusses your options, recommends a treatment plan, and explains both the results that may be possible and the risks of surgery.
During the operation, you will be given medication to keep you comfortable. Anesthesia (medication that keeps you from feeling pain) may be intravenous sedation or general anesthesia; your surgeon will advise you on the choice that suits you. The incision can take several forms depending on your situation: a circular incision around the areola, a keyhole pattern with an incision around the areola and a vertical line down to the breast crease, or an inverted-T pattern.
After the incision is made, your surgeon removes excess skin, fatty tissue, and breast gland tissue, reduces the areola if needed, and moves the nipple and areola to a higher position. With very large and heavily sagging breasts, the nipple and areola are sometimes removed completely and then grafted back into a new position. In some cases, liposuction is combined with surgery to draw out extra fatty tissue; if your breast size is mostly due to fat and there is little excess skin, liposuction may be used on its own. Finally, the incisions are closed and shaped into a smaller, higher breast, using dissolvable sutures on the inside and non-dissolvable sutures on the outside, and sometimes surgical glue or special tape.
Realistic expectations
You may see a result right after surgery, but the finished shape of your breasts usually takes around 3 to 6 months, as swelling settles and scars fade. The result is often lasting, helping you feel less pain and fewer limits on movement than before.
What this will not do
- Surgery does not promise an exact size or a perfected ideal; your surgeon works with the real features of your body
- Surgery does not erase scars; the incisions leave permanent scars, though in many cases they fade and improve a great deal over time
- Surgery does not lock in the result forever; your breasts can still change with aging, shifts in weight, hormones, and illness
- Surgery does not always achieve the result you hope for in a single operation; sometimes a further revision is needed
Recovery
When the operation is finished, your incisions are dressed. You may be given an elastic wrap or a supportive bra to reduce swelling and hold your breasts while they heal. Your surgeon will give you specific guidance on how to care for your breasts, take your medications, and watch your incisions. It matters that the incisions are not pressed on too hard, rubbed, or disturbed while they heal.
- Right after surgery
- Your incisions are dressed, possibly with an elastic wrap or a supportive bra; there may be a drain to let fluid escape.
- The first 24 to 48 hours
- The drain, if you have one, is usually removed within this window.
- The first few weeks
- You will be scheduled for suture removal and follow-up visits on your surgeon's timeline; when you return to normal activity and exercise is something your surgeon will guide individually for you.
- Around 3 to 6 months
- Swelling settles, scars fade, and the shape of your breasts becomes more refined; comfort with your new appearance often arrives once you have fully recovered.
Risks & safety
The decision to have surgery is a personal one: you need to weigh whether the benefits meet your goals, and whether the risks are ones you can accept. Medicine and surgery are not exact sciences; results are often good, but nothing can promise they will always be so. Your surgeon will explain in detail the risks that apply to your own operation.
- Infection
- Collection of blood or fluid
- Fat necrosis (death of fatty tissue)
- Poor scarring
- Changes in sensation in the nipple or breast, which may be temporary or permanent
- Uneven breast shape, skin discoloration, or changes in pigment
- The ability to breastfeed may be lost, along with the risks that come with anesthesia
How we do it
Breast reduction surgery at the hospital is carried out in a facility licensed for plastic and aesthetic surgery, with the staff and equipment needed to keep you as safe as possible. You are seen by a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery, who will examine you, take measurements, and build a treatment plan around the real features of your body.
Before surgery, you may be asked to have tests, undergo a health assessment, adjust the medications you take, stop smoking, and avoid aspirin along with certain medications and herbal supplements that can raise the risk of bleeding. Your surgeon may order a mammogram before and after surgery to track changes in your breast tissue later on. After surgery, you are given clear guidance on how to care for yourself and the warning signs to watch for.
Frequently asked questions
Will the incisions leave scars?
Yes. The incisions leave permanent scars. Depending on the incision pattern, scars usually sit where they can be hidden under a bra or swimsuit, and in many cases they fade and improve a great deal over time.
Will surgery help ease neck, shoulder, and back pain?
For many people, bringing the breasts into better proportion offers relief from the pain and the limits on movement they lived with before. How much relief varies from person to person, and your surgeon will talk this through with you.
When can I return to normal activity and exercise?
Your surgeon will guide this individually, based on your operation and how quickly you heal. While you heal, it matters that your incisions are not pressed on, rubbed, or disturbed too much.
Will I still be able to breastfeed later?
The ability to breastfeed may be limited after surgery. If you are planning to have children, talk this through with your surgeon before you decide.
Will the result last?
The result is often lasting. Even so, over time your breasts can still change with aging, shifts in weight, hormones, and illness. Pregnancy can also change an earlier result.
What kind of anesthesia will I have during surgery?
You will be given medication to keep you comfortable. The options include intravenous sedation or general anesthesia. Your surgeon will advise you on the choice that suits you.
Will I always need a second operation?
Not always. But in some cases, one operation does not reach the result you hope for, and a further revision may be needed.
Will surgery affect breast cancer screening?
Breast reduction surgery can affect how screening is read. This is why your surgeon may suggest a mammogram before and after surgery, to track changes in your breast tissue.
Once I am home, which signs mean I should be seen right away?
If you have trouble breathing, chest pain, or an irregular heartbeat, seek medical care right away. If a complication develops, you may need to be admitted to the hospital for further treatment.
The next step
The next step is a conversation - book a consultation.
The content on this page is for reference only and does not replace a direct examination and consultation with a specialist physician. Surgical outcomes vary from person to person.