BREAST REDUCTION
Excessively large breasts (macromastia) are not only an aesthetic problem but can also lead to serious health issues. The surgical procedure to reduce breasts that are larger than normal is called ‘Reduction Mammoplasty’. The aim of this operation is to create breasts that are proportionate to the body while preserving nipple sensation and the ability to breastfeed.
Treatment Process
2 - 5 hours
1 day
7 - 10 days
6 - 8 weeks
Breast Size in Young Women
Breast size in young women can be due to hormonal stimulation or fibrocystic breast disease. The presence of firm lumps in the breast during a manual examination and, in particular, increased sensitivity and pain in the breast during menstruation indicate fibrocystic breast disease. The medical diagnosis of this disease can be easily made with a clinical examination and a breast ultrasound. Fibrocystic breast disease is not related to breast cancer and does not carry such a risk. However, as it completely affects the milk glands, it significantly reduces the breast’s milk production capacity.
Consequently, in patients who undergo surgery due to breast enlargement associated with fibrocystic breast disease at a young age, insufficient milk secretion later in life will be due to the fibrocysts themselves, which destroy the milk ducts, rather than the surgery. Another condition that causes excessively large breasts in the young age group is polycystic ovary syndrome. PCOS completely disrupts hormonal balance, leading to irregular periods, increased body hair, androgenic fat distribution, and breast enlargement. Hormone replacement therapy in the early stages will alleviate the symptoms.
The priority for patients in the younger age group is the aesthetic outcome. Therefore, patients desire breasts that are more beautiful and aesthetically acceptable in size.
Breast Size in Middle-Aged and Older Women
Aesthetic concerns are less important in the middle and older age groups. However, the health problems caused by large breasts physically come to the fore.
These Issues;
- Particularly rashes and skin problems under the breasts due to sweating
- Shoulder collapse and persistent back pain due to weight
- Cervical disc herniations due to uneven load on the spine in the later stages
- Numbness and weakness in the arms, commonly seen in cervical disc herniations
- Treatment-resistant headaches and vertigo
It has been determined that breast size causes serious symptoms of depression and impairs quality of life, particularly in women over the age of 40, if there are no other negative factors affecting their family or work life. Patients who feel uncomfortable in their own skin, constantly try to conceal their breasts with the same type of clothing, and dislike their own bodies when naked tend to withdraw from social settings and relationships over time.
Ideal Patient for Breast Reduction Surgery
The patient does not smoke or, if they do smoke, has quit smoking at least 3 weeks prior to the surgery date. They do not have any metabolic diseases such as diabetes or heart conditions, have not previously experienced vascular problems such as embolism, do not have any tumour lesions in their breast, and undergo regular breast examinations and check-ups.What Should You Know About Breast Reduction Surgery?
Breast reduction surgery is performed according to a specific plan. The target breast size is that which will fully fill a B or B+ cup bra. Depending on the patient’s preference, it can be left larger. After surgery, the breast’s ability to continue producing milk and the preservation of nipple sensation depend on the current size of the breast and the appropriate technique selected. In cases of excessively large breasts, where the nipple cannot be relocated to its new position while preserving its viability, breast surgery that is visually adequate but functionally and sensitively inactive may be performed under conditions previously explained to the patient. An important point is that all breast reduction surgeries will result in permanent scars. Depending on the technique used, either a straight line extending down from the nipple or a scar resembling an inverted T will remain. With appropriate wound and scar treatment starting from the 6th to 8th week after surgery, it is possible to say that these scars will become barely noticeable within a maximum of 2 years.Patient Reviews
Breast Reduction Surgery
Patients scheduled for breast reduction surgery must stop smoking at least 3 weeks prior to the operation. It is important that they refrain from smoking for up to 4 weeks after the operation. Otherwise, partial or complete loss of the nipple and breast tissue may occur due to impaired tissue circulation.
Breast reduction surgery is performed in an operating theatre under general anaesthesia. The surgery lasts approximately 2.5 hours. During the surgery, one drain is usually placed in each breast. These drains are extremely important for both controlling and treating any bleeding that may occur in the early postoperative period. No pain is expected after the surgery. The patient can eat and walk around comfortably after 2 hours.
For breast reduction surgery, a one-day hospital stay is sufficient. Although a return to normal life is possible within the first week after surgery, activities such as walking in crowded places and driving, which could cause trauma to the breasts, are not recommended for 2 weeks. Specialised corsets should be worn for the first 8 weeks, after which normal bras can be used.
Those Who Have Had Breast Reduction Surgery
When considering all other cosmetic surgical procedures, breast reduction surgery is the procedure that offers the highest level of physical comfort and satisfaction after surgery. The physical relief experienced by the patient always takes precedence over the happiness derived from the aesthetic result. In the subsequent period, there is a noticeable improvement in the patient’s quality of life.
Non-Surgical Breast Reduction
Due to the prevalence of the issue and fear of surgery, this is one of the concepts in which people are most often exploited and misled. Except for the physiological involution that may occur after pregnancy, causing a normal-sized breast to lose volume, the only effective way to reduce breast size is surgically.
Breast Reduction Costs
The cost of breast reduction surgery varies depending on the patient’s characteristics and the surgical technique to be used.
Breast Reduction in Men
In men, significant sagging following extreme weight loss procedures such as gastric sleeve surgery, or in cases of severe obesity where both breast tissue and skin have excessively enlarged, may necessitate male breast reduction surgery. It is a common misconception in society that all problems related to male breasts fall under the term gynecomastia.
Preserving nipple sensation and minimizing visible scars are extremely important in male breast reduction surgery. While the free nipple technique, which often results in complete loss of nipple sensation, is commonly used, our technique preserves full nipple sensation.
Male breast reduction surgery is performed in an operating room under general anesthesia. The average surgery time is 2 hours, and a 1-day hospital stay is sufficient. Since some degree of abdominal skin looseness and sagging can also be addressed during this surgery, patient satisfaction rates are very high.
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