Breast Reduction Liposuction and Surgeons

All about breast reductions, surgeries, and prices

It is ironic that a desire for bigger breasts is one of the commonest requests for cosmetic surgery and yet, for many women, large breasts can be a source of misery. Heavy large pendulous breasts can be the source of many physical and practical problems. They are heavy and may cause postural problems, including back and shoulder pain. Even the strain on a bra strap produces grooves in the shoulders. Exercise such as running or swimming is often impossible, which may predispose to general weight gain.

Large breasts are often a source of embarrassment and attract unwanted attention and comments. Disproportionately large breasts can limit choice of clothing. In the skinfolds underneath the breasts, the skin often becomes irritated and inflamed and may predispose to fungal infections. More rarely, the skin and breast tissue may develop sores or ulcers due to a reduced blood supply. Few women regard their large breasts as attractive. They go to great lengths to disguise them and often become round shouldered.Wary of drawing attention to themselves, many feel they become shy and passive, which may limit their potential in the workplace as well as socially. There are psychological as well as physical consequences.

Most women who develop large breasts have a genetic predisposition and there is often a family history. Pregnancy and weight gain may also be factors. There is also a rare condition called ‘gigantomastia’ where enormous breast size is a consequence of sensitivity to oestrogen.
Occasionally, asymmetry of the breasts may be pronounced, with one breast much larger than the other.

What is breast reduction?

Breast reduction is a surgical procedure that reduces the size and volume of the breast. There are a number of different techniques that may be used according to individual needs and surgeon’s choice. These include:

Breast Liposuction

In some circumstances, the breast can be reduced by liposuction alone. This option is attractive as it produces minimal scars and recovery is quick. However, it is only effective when a significant amount of the breast tissue is composed of fat. Glandular breast tissue is firmer and cannot be easily removed by suction. The other limitation is that after significant reduction by liposuction, the breast may become droopier and lax as no skin has been removed.

Surgery

All formal breast reduction operations involve removal of breast tissue and reshaping the breast. This almost always includes the need to remove excess skin.Traditionally, breast reduction results in scars, which are around the areola (the brown skin around the nipple), a vertical scar down to the base of the breast and a transverse scar in the fold under the breast. This scar pattern is often referred to as an ‘inverted T’ or ‘anchor’.