A breast reduction surgery, or reduction Mammoplasty, is a procedure for women who have enlarged breast size and who are suffering from multiple physical symptoms as a result. A breast reduction decreases the breast size and gives a woman their confidence back as the breast will be proportionate to their body size.
The excessive weight of the heavy breasts can cause, shoulder pain, neck pain and back pain, along with problems with posture and painful skin irritation or rashes underneath the breasts. Other issues include, shoulder grooving from bra straps and pain in the breasts known as mastodynia. For these reasons, health insurance may cover the breast reduction surgery on most occasions. A personalized consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Eric Payne, MD will determine this. Your goals, are his goals.
How Can Reduction Mammaplasty Benefit Me?
A breast reduction procedure is a life-changing event for women with large breasts because the patient will notice an improvement in pain, soreness and skin irritation in the breast crease. Women will also enjoy fitting into clothing that is more proportionate to their body type. This surgery is intended to improve your quality of life by relieving the stress and pain on the neck and back which will improve your overall health care.
Am I a Candidate for a Breast Reduction?
There is no age limit on who can undergo a breast reduction mammaplasty surgery. Frequently we see some very young women who have enlarged breasts during puberty which is known as virginal breast hypertrophy. In these cases, the breast tissue continues to enlarge and it is best to wait until the enlargement has stopped. The breast enlargement from puberty is due to very dense glandular tissue in the breast instead of excess fat tissue.
Typically, patients who have reached their ideal body weight and are no longer breastfeeding will see the best results from plastic surgery. Most insurance companies require a body weight to height ratio or BMI under 40, however this is not always possible if exercise is limited due to enlarged breast size. Some patients are significantly self-conscious of the breasts and are a candidate for breast reduction. If the amount of breast tissue does not amount to an adequate amount as determined by your insurance coverage guided by the Schnur scale, it is then considered a cosmetic breast lift and not a reconstructive surgery.
How to Prepare for Breast Reduction Surgery
The first step in preparing for a plastic surgery procedure is to obtain a thorough medical history including a review of family history breast cancer risk and a mammogram if over 40 years old. Good candidates are women who meet the criteria according to the insurance company’s guidelines for insurance coverage of breast reduction surgery. Some men are also in need of breast reduction known as gynecomastia surgery. Typically, gynecomastia is a cosmetic surgery for men to remove excess breast tissue under the areola.
What to Expect During a Breast Reduction
Dr. Payne uses two types of surgical approaches, depending on the size of the breast and the amount of tissue and skin reduction required. The surgical procedure of liposuction does not work well with breast reduction surgery since the excess breast tissue can be very dense or glandular tissue. Typically the best surgical technique is to remove the excess breast tissue using a peri-areola incision or “Lollipop” incision that will assist in removing excess skin. This type of incision is extended under the breast in the inframammary fold creating an anchor shape scar to achieve the best breast shape. This outpatient plastic surgery procedure is done under general anesthesia in the operating room. The surgical technique can only be determined by your plastic surgeon with an in office consultation, since no one body is alike.
What to Expect After Breast Reduction
The breasts after surgery will appear to be high or elevated in comparison with the appearance before surgery. This is done intentionally because the breasts will settle with time. It takes several months for the final results of the breast surgery to be seen.
Pain medication will be prescribed to help alleviate any discomfort after surgery. We suggest no strenuous physical activity after surgery, but you must walk several times a day to reduce the chances of having a blood clot form in your legs.
Compression garments and surgical bras are used to help support the breast post operatively and control any swelling that occurs. Incision care will be needed but the majority of sutures will dissolve on their own. Dr. Payne and his staff will go over these instructions with you after surgery. You will follow-up within 1-3 days after surgery to check the incisions for healing.
Patient satisfaction is our goal with breast reduction surgery which means we want to improve your self-confidence and reduce the size of your breasts by removing the excess fat and glandular tissue. The breasts naturally have asymmetry that will remain after surgery; however we will try to reduce the asymmetry as much as possible.
Schedule a Consultation
Contact Texas Liposuction Specialty Clinic in Houston today to schedule a consultation for your Liposuction with Dr. Payne.