In the current trend toward more and more women opting to have breast augmentation, it may seem odd for a woman with large natural breasts to want to have them reduced. But the truth is, overly large natural breasts can be a literal and figurative burden. It’s like taking a hike up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire with a 20-pound backpack on your chest…all day every day!
Our six board-certified UMass Memorial plastic surgeons perform breast reduction to bring a woman’s breasts more into proportion with her figure. After recovery, our reduction patients usually feel as if a burden has been lifted and they notice a real boost in confidence and an improvement in their body image.
What reasons would cause a woman to want reduction?
Overly large breasts can be difficult to deal with for a variety of reasons. The weight alone can cause back and neck pain, even leading to a hunched posture. Bra straps dig into the skin. Rashes and chafing can develop under the breasts. They can keep a woman from participating in certain types of exercise and various sports. The undue attention they attract can make a woman avoid social situations.
What is breast reduction?
Reduction surgery is known clinically as reduction mammaplasty. In the procedure, our UMass surgeons remove excess skin, fat, and tissue from the breasts. The goal is to make the breasts more proportionate to the rest of the figure and to eliminate any discomfort they cause.
How is the procedure done?
Most reduction surgeries call for an “anchor” incision with reduction surgery. This incision circles the nipple-areolar complex, drops down vertically from the nipple to the crease at the bottom of the breast, and then extends horizontally in both directions along the bottom of the breast. This incision is necessary to access the amount of tissue needed. Excess breast tissue, fat, and skin are then removed. If the nipples are very large, we may reduce their size and then move them upward to match the smaller, higher breasts. If the breasts have a good deal of fatty tissue, we may include some liposuction.
What is recovery like?
After reduction surgery, the patient will wear a surgical bra to decrease swelling and support the breasts. After the initial week, a support bra will need to be worn 24 hours a day for at least one month. This is a very important part of recovery, as the surgical bra/support bra reduces any stress the incisions. This helps them heal more quickly and allows the scars to become less visible moving forward. Most patients can return to work in five days and resume most activities within one month. Strenuous exercise, particularly jogging or aerobics will probably need to wait six weeks. As with all procedures, we will discuss your recovery with you in detail during your consultation and after your surgery.
If you’re sick and tired of the burden of your overly large breasts, please call us at UMass Memorial Medical Group. Our plastic surgeons have extensive experience with these surgeries and are pleased to help women attain the more proportional figure they’ve always longed for. Call us at (508) 334-5990 to schedule a consultation for breast reduction at UMass Memorial.
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