Breast Reduction
Breast reduction, also called reduction mammaplasty, is designed to relieve  the physical discomfort associated with very large breasts and to enhance the appearance of the breasts.  The procedure removes excess breast tissue and skin, making breasts smaller and firmer. The nipple and areola are usually reduced and repositioned.  Breast reduction can be performed at any age, but it is usually best to wait until breast development has stopped.  Women  past menopause may benefit  from breast reduction, as it will significantly decrease the stress on their skeletal system.  Women who are severely overweight  are usually are encouraged to lose weight before undergoing surgery.  However, studies have shown that breast reduction may sometimes be the stimulus for effective weight loss in such individuals following surgery.

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and may require an overnight stay at the hospital or surgery center.  There are a number of possible techniques and there will be visible scars  which normally fade and become less noticeable over time. With the traditional breast reduction “T-incision” scars are  made around the areola, vertically from the bottom edge of the areola to the crease beneath the breast and horizontally along the breast crease.  Reduction of the breast using the newer vertical technique eliminates the horizontal scar and improves breast shape.  Elimination of the brease crease scar is a great advantage, especially in women prone to keloids and hypertrophic scars.  Liposuction may be used to improve the contour under the arm.  Usually the nipples and areolas remain attached to the breast tissue, and this allows for the preservation of sensation and the ability to breast feed. In very large reductions the nipple-areolar complex may need to be removed and replaced on the reduced breast as a skin graft.

Breast reduction may be covered by some insurance plans when the amount of breast tissue removed is significant and meets the insurance company’s criteria.  In other cases, insurance companies may consider the reduction to be “cosmetic” and the surgery must be paid for directly by the patient.  Breast reduction makes a dramatic change in the appearance as well as physical comfort of patients. The level of patient satisfaction from breast reduction is among the highest of any plastic surgery procedure.