Breast Reduction
Breast reduction surgery is a cosmetic surgical procedure called a mammoplasty. As the name suggests, the operation can reduce the size of the female breast and is particularly appropriate to reduce the physical strain and emotional toll of living with large, heavy breasts.
Having the surgery can improve back and shoulder pain caused by the weight of the breasts, improve posture, and make it easier to exercise without discomfort. As well as physical improvements, breast reduction can improve female happiness, general well-being, confidence, and self-esteem, aiding social and work interactions.
The operation removes some of the skin, breast tissue, and fat to reduce the overall size, weight, and droop of the breasts, leaving a smaller, lifted breast with a reduced overall cup size.
Breast reduction surgery is suitable for those women who experience physical pain and emotion distress due to large, heavy breasts, including those who suffer from problems like:
• Pain in the back, shoulder, or neck.
• Skin irritation from the chaffing of clothes and/or underwear
• Grooves in the skin on the shoulders where bras staps dig in due to the heaviness of the breast.
• Skin infection and rashes under the breast.
• Difficulty exercising due to pain from movement of the breast tissue, despite support from sports bras.
• Poor posture which exacerbates back pain and can cause curvatures to the spine.
• Emotional issues with self-esteem, confidence, and depression, including difficulty maintaining relationships and sexual partners due to shyness, being self-conscious and disliking the appearance of their breasts.
Breast reduction surgery can also be used to correct asymmetry where one breast is significantly larger than the other and causes an imbalance.
Treatment cost
Price From* After consultation the doctor will confirm the cost.
Treatment Summary at a glance
1-3 hours
One
General
Pain, swelling, bruising and tightness to the chest.
Reduction in size and shape of the breast.
Permanent
After 2 weeks
3-9 months
How does it work?
Breast reduction is a surgical procedure which is used to reduce the size and shape of large, heavy breasts that are causing physical and emotional discomfort. The surgery can be approached in several different ways, depending on the requirements for your surgery and what will work best for your breast shape. This will be discussed with our surgeon during the consultation.
In all cases, excess skin, breast tissue, and fat are removed to reduce the size and weight of the breast. The area is sculpted and sutured closed to create a new, smaller shape, and your nipple is repositioned. The procedure will leave a scar around the darker nipple area or areola, alongside other scars from vertical incisions and incisions underneath the breast. This scarring will fade over time.
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FAQ's
Your suitability for breast reduction will be assessed by our surgeon who will decide if you are the correct candidate for the procedure. A full medical history will also be taken to make sure that there are no contraindications for you to have the procedure, such as any medication that you may be taking, underlying health conditions, your wound healing history, or past breast surgeries.
Pregnant and breast-feeding women are not suitable for surgical procedures.
Breast reduction surgery may also lead to an inability to breast feed in future. If this is important to you, please discuss it with our surgeon who can endeavour to preserve vital tissue required for breast feeding.
The breast reduction surgery will be performed using general anaesthesia so you will not feel the procedure.
The operation can take 1-3 hours to perform.
After the surgery, and once the anaesthesia has worn off, your chest will feel tender and tight. Some people do experience mild side effects because of the anaesthesia so you will be monitored before you are discharged from our care.
You will need to wear a support bra or post-surgical garment 24/7 in the 3-4 weeks following your surgery to aid healing and support the breast tissue as your incisions heal. After that you should always wear a sports bra during the day but can remove it to sleep.
You should try to walk around as much as you can during the first week after surgery as improving your circulation will aid healing. Initially movement may hurt and cause a pulling sensation over your chest. Over time, and as you heal, your breasts will become softer and feel more natural; it is a gradual process due to the extent of disruption to the tissue, with different people taking different amounts of time to recover.
This treatment carries a one night stay.
Pain, swelling, bruising, and tightness are common for the first few days and weeks post-surgery. Any pain and discomfort post-surgery can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication or medicines prescribed by our surgeon.
Many patients take up to 2 weeks off work before returning to most normal activities and their job, depending on the type of work. You should avoid strenuous exercise or heavy lifting for at least a month. It is advised to avoid driving for 4-6 weeks too, partly due to the medical implications and discomfort from wearing a seat belt, but also because it may invalidate your vehicle insurance.
The full recovery from breast implant surgery can take 6-9 months, including the fading of the scars from red to pink and the return of sensation to the nipple.
The full results of breast reduction surgery can be life changing. Woman often feel more confident with a sense of freedom, unencumbered by their previously heavy breasts. Physical movement and posture improve over time, there is relief from back and shoulder pain, as well as skin irritation and shoulder dips. You will be able to attempt more sports and types of exercise, and often the freedom to do more improves social, work, and family life.
The results from breast reduction surgery are permanent but can be affected in future by ageing or weight gain, hence, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
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