Breast Reduction

A breast reduction is a surgical procedure that decreases breast size and fullness by removing excess skin, fat and breast tissue, resulting in smaller, more proportional breasts. Reasons for undergoing a breast reduction include:

• To decrease overall breast volume for women who feel that their breasts are too large for their frame.
• To assist in alleviating the signs and symptoms of have large breasts, including; neck and shoulder pain, headaches, bra-strap grooving and rashes within the breasts folds.
• To attempt to create symmetry between two unequal breasts.

Surgical Candidates

• Good physical and mental health.
• Maintain realistic goals for surgical results.
• If over the age of twenty, must have healthy mammogram results within one year prior to surgery.

Procedure

• Performed under anesthesia within a hospital or surgery center.
• Patients may spend one night within the hospital or overnight center, or may even go home the day of surgery.
• Actual surgical procedure depends on the size the breasts.
• Vertical Breast Reduction, for moderately large breasts, involves removing excess skin, fat and breast tissue via a 2 part incision; an incision around the areola, (pigmented area around the nipple) and vertically from the areola to the base of breast, or fold. The final incision looks similar to a “lollipop” shape.
• Liposuction may be performed within the lateral area of the breast, towards the sides of the body.
• Full Breast Reduction, for very large-breasted women, involves an anchor type of incision. This is a 3 part incision, with an incision around the areola, from the areola to the base of the breast and one more along the fold, underneath the breast. Liposuction is usually done. The final incision is an “anchor” shape. Dissolving sutures are used to close the incisions.
• One drain tube is inserted at the lateral (armpit) side of each breast to assist in the evacuation of fluid, usually for 1-2 days.

After Surgery

• Oral pain medications are prescribed to control discomfort following surgery.
• The following medications are also prescribed to assist in your recovery:
  antibiotics, ibuprofen and stool softener.
• The doctor or her assistant will visit with the patient one to two days after surgery.
• It is imperative to avoid any strenuous activity for 4 weeks, but patients may resume non-strenuous work with 2-3 weeks.
• Dr. Burgess will follow your healing process closely throughout the weeks and months following surgery.

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