Breast Reduction
Breast reduction is an outpatient surgical procedure that reduces the size of the breast by removing fat, skin and gland tissue. The medical term for this procedure is reduction mammoplasty. Although it is most often performed in women, it is a procedure that men can have as well when they feel that their breasts are too large and look more like women’s breasts. In women, this procedure can be a cosmetic one to correct drooping breasts, but it also often recommended by doctors for women who have back and neck problems because of the size and weight of their breasts.
The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. In men, doctors usually remove the excess tissue through a tiny incision they make in each breast. This lipo suction technique also works for women with smaller breasts. For women, there are three techniques surgeons can use for this procedure. The first is called the interior pedicle technique. A small cut starts at the nipple area and extends downward following the natural curve of the breast. The excess fat, skin and tissue are removed and the nipple and surrounding areola are moved higher. Although this technique often results in breasts that look square, it is the technique most women and surgeons choose.
The second technique is called the vertical scar technique. The doctor makes an incision similar to the shape of a lollipop, which results in minimal scarring because the cut is not across the breast. The upper part of the breast remains untouched so there is no need for raising the nipple and areola. This technique is becoming more popular in breast reduction surgeries. Free nipple graft is a less common procedure only used in rare cases of excessive dropping. In the procedure, the nipple and areola are removed completely and replaced higher on the breast by skin graft.
It does take several weeks to recover from this type of surgery and it could take as long as a year for the body to adjust to the reduced breast size.