What is Breast Reduction?

Breast reduction or Reduction Mammaplasty is a major surgical procedure to reduce the breast size in cases of large and uncomfortable breast often with degrees of medical complications such as neck pain, back pain and skin infections under the breast fold.

The procedure

The procedure itself will take around three hours depending on the complexity of the case and is performed in day hospital.    Overnight stay is not normally required. A General Anaesthetic is usually appropriate for this surgery.

Post-op Recovery

For the first twenty-four hours you will have heavy dressings on your breasts to reduce swelling after which time they will be removed.  You may notice initially that your breasts appear quite high in position, this is normal and they will assume a more natural position as you heal.

Pain and discomfort vary depending on the individual but you can expect moderate to severe pain for the first few days after which the symptoms will improve.  Most of our patients cope well with the assistance of oral pain medication.

You are able to shower the next day after surgery since we normally use waterproof dressings on the wounds. It is common to have some drains in place with breast reduction to prevent an accumulation of fluid or blood. These are usually removed after 1-2 days.

You will, require some help at home in the early stages.  Gentle exercise such as walking is encouraged after the first day or so and you should be able to return to most household tasks after a week. You should avoid vigorous activity such as gym or jogging for a few weeks.

 What about scarring?

As with any operation of this nature naturally there will be a degree of scarring but every effort is made to minimize this.  Scars tend to be pink to brown and slightly firm in the first few weeks but gradually become lighter in colour and acquire softness.  Scars around the nipple are usually difficult to detect, the vertical scar is more easily seen but fades to a very light colour in time. The horizontal scar hides very well under the breast fold. Some people have a tendency to form heavy, discoloured scarring which might be itchy and uncomfortable. There are ways to minimize this scar response and so any history of poor scarring should be advised before surgery.

Breastfeeding

As the amount of tissue removed in this operation varies from one patient to another no guarantees can be made as to potential successful breastfeeding, however, in most cases of women can successfully breast feed following this procedure.

Risks and Complications:

All medical procedures carry some risks as well as potential benefits. There are general surgical risks such as bruising, bleeding, blood clots, infection.

Bruising is common and resolves well, usually in a matter of days. Bleeding at the time of operation is well controlled but sometimes bleeding occurs after the operation and may collect as a haematoma. If a haematoma is large enough it may need to be drained.

Drains are commonly used in conjunction with mastopexy and this helps to minimize the risks of collections.
Infection is uncommon but if it occurs it can be serious and so it needs to be treated seriously. All patients are treated with antibiotics to try to prevent infection. Severe infections may cause skin necrosis and loss of tissue which will need to be repaired.
 

Unevenness of the breasts after surgery may occur.

There may be changes to the sensitivity of nipples.
 

General anaesthetics are a safe procedure but they too carry potential serious risks including nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blood clots, lung problems, even death.

Despite the risks, Breast Reduction, when performed by an experienced practitioner is a very safe procedure and has a high level of patient satisfaction.

For more information on Breast Reduction please call and talk to our friendly staff on 1300 881388