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Large breasts, medically known as macromastia, is associated with a range of musculoskeletal symptoms involving back, shoulder, and neck pain. The weight of the breasts eventually causes grooving of the skin across the shoulder from the straps of a bra which is weighted down. While insurance companies often insist on conservative treatment measures such as weight loss and physical therapy before approving surgery, only actual breast reduction surgery can truly alleviate the associated medical symptoms.
Breast reduction is a highly successful procedure that in every patient provides an immediate and long-term relief of painful back, shoulder, and neck issues. Having performed many breast reductions, I am convinced that the relief comes as much from the breasts being repositioned back up higher on the chest wall as it does from the amount of breast tissue and weight removed. Patients often ask if they are going to get a breast lift as well as a breast reduction. The answer to that is.....absolutely! The design of a breast reduction (it is a very geometric operation) is such that a lift and reduction is performed at the same time. Like making a cone out of a flat piece of a paper, a wedge of skin and breast tissue is removed from below and the breast is brought together with the nipple being moved higher. (a simplistic illustration) This makes the remaining breast tissue temporarily sit higher up on the chest wall that it will eventually be. While initially after surgery the breasts will look too full up on top (and the bottom of the breasts will look cut off or too flat), within weeks the breasts will round themselves out better. If a breast is made to be perfectly round at the end of the surgery, it will not remain so later. If so, the breasts will bottom out later and no fullness on top will remain. You must factor in to the design of a breast reduction how the breasts will change after surgery to end up with a good-looking result.
All of this comes at a price....so to speak....and the price is the presence of visible scarring on the breast. When I say, extensive breast scarring, I do not mean that the scars will look bad. I do mean that the amount (length) of the breast scars will be extensive. Fortunately, half of the breast scar lies along the lower breast fold where they are not seen. The visible remainder runs around the nipple and then vertically down to meet the lower breast fold. While I have performed very few breast scar revisions, patients need to have a good appreciation of the scarring to be certain that this is an acceptable trade-off.
Breast reduction works well and is highly accepted by most patients. The breasts can be reduced to almost any size that a patient prefers and one that is a better match to their body frame.
Insteadof walking around in pain and having to endure unwanted stares, many women arenow turning to breast reduction surgery as a way of achieving a more natural,proportioned look. For women who havelarge breasts, life can be very uncomfortable, physically and emotionally. Because of this, we see a growing number ofthese women choosing corrective surgery, allowing them to gain a better senseof confidence.
Thegood news is that benefits of breast reduction surgery far outweigh anyrisks. To reduce the potential ofcomplications even more, women need to start with a qualified surgeon, one thatis board certified and works in a high quality facility. With the surgery complete, back, neck, andshoulder pain disappears. Bra straps nolonger dig into the skin and good posture can be achieved.
Anotherof the other benefits associated with breast reduction surgery is being able toget involved with physical activities. Women who are active, those who enjoy walking, jogging, playing tennis,and other sports, find they can move with freedom and no pain. Even performance can be gained by reducingthe size of the breast, which is great for the serious athlete.
Undergoingbreast reduction surgery is a great way of building a woman?sself-confidence. Instead of hiding underbaggy shirts and oversized jackets, women can proudly wear more form fittingclothing and feel good about the way they look. Interestingly, many studies have been done specific to self-esteem andbreast reduction surgery with findings showing that there is actually animprovement in production and attitude within the workplace.
Now,while breast reduction surgery comes with many wonderful benefits, it isimportant to understand possible problems too. The amount of tissue, fat, and cells removed, as well as the overallstate of health of the woman will dictate her recovery time. There are many instances where a four tosix-month recovery period is quite normal so this has to be taken intoconsideration.
Afterhaving corrective surgery of this type, healing is usually slow but consistentand as long as orders from the cosmetic surgeon are followed, there should beno problem. However, infection is alwaysa concern with any surgery so anything unusual should be reported to the doctorimmediately. There is also some risk ofscarring, which varies depending on the technique used. In some cases, scarring is very minimal butwith certain methods, scarring is likely. Keep in mind that scars do fade over time so while there might be aninitial shock, things should get better with healing.