Breast reduction Plastic Surgery
Throughout life, a woman's mammary glands undergo changes: their size and shape change after pregnancy, lactation, weight fluctuations and as a result of aging of the body.
Women who have a magnificent bust are actually not always happy with such a "gift" of nature. Firstly, under the influence of gravity, large breasts tend to sag, as a result of which their aesthetic appeal is lost. Secondly, it brings physiological discomfort – owners of large breasts often complain of pain in the back, neck and chest.
Treatment with medications in such cases is powerless, the only salvation is plastic surgery aimed at reducing the size of the mammary glands. In modern plastic surgery clinics, this correction is called reduction mammoplasty. The purpose of the operation is to reduce, simultaneously tighten and improve the shape of the mammary glands.
What is reduction mammoplasty?
Reduction mammoplasty is a method of surgical breast correction, during which a plastic surgeon removes excess glandular tissue of the mammary glands and excess fat deposits in this area. In addition, it lifts the nipples and areoles to improve the aesthetic appearance.
Who is indicated for reduction mammoplasty?
Indications for mammoplasty, which reduces the size of the mammary glands, can be medical and aesthetic.
Medical indications include:
- back pain, neck pain, chest pain, problems with posture, and spinal health that result from uneven load distribution. In women with large breasts, the activity of internal organs also suffers.;
- sleep disorders, difficulty breathing while lying on your back;
- headaches;
- the development of fungal diseases, diaper rash under the breast;
- abnormal growth of the mammary glands.
Aesthetic indications for reduction mammoplasty are:
- excessively large size of the mammary glands;
- breast asymmetry;
- sagging of the mammary glands (unilateral or bilateral);
- stretch marks on the skin of the mammary glands.
Who is contraindicated in breast reduction?
Breast reduction surgery is not performed if a woman has the following pathologies:
- severe diseases of internal organs;
- uncompensated diabetes mellitus;
- blood clotting disorders;
- skin diseases on the chest;
- chronic cardiovascular diseases;
- decompensated diseases of the central nervous system;
- infectious and oncological diseases.
Pregnant and lactating women, as well as girls under the age of 18, will have to postpone the reduction of mammoplasty for some time.
Preparation for breast reduction surgery:
- Before undergoing surgical breast correction, a woman should undergo a comprehensive examination and visit a mammologist to identify contraindications.
- The list of mandatory studies before mammoplasty includes:
- laboratory blood and urine tests;
- ultrasound examination of the veins of the mammary glands and lower extremities;
- fluorography;
- mammography.
In addition, in order to avoid complications, a woman needs to prepare for surgery on her own:
- stop smoking and drinking alcohol two weeks before mammoplasty;
- stop taking medications that impair blood clotting.
Technique of reduction mammoplasty
During reduction mammoplasty, the surgeon removes excess breast tissue. This helps to improve the shape and reduce the size of the mammary glands. The operation is performed under general anesthesia
First, the doctor forms a surgical access, then excises excess skin and glandular tissue, moves the nipples and areoles upward, preserving their innervation and trophism, and reduces the size of the areola if necessary. Finally, the surgeon installs drains and applies neat stitches.
Breast reduction methods
Currently, reduction mammoplasty is performed using two types of surgical incisions:
- anchor incision (resembling the letter T) – this type of access allows you to drastically reduce the size of the breast. In order to excise a large amount of tissue, an incision is formed in a natural fold under the breast, and it is drawn upward to and around the areola;
- vertical incision – this technique allows you to remove a small amount of tissue and is considered less traumatic. The postoperative scar in the nipple area and the vertical scar become almost invisible after a while.
The duration of reduction mammoplasty is, on average, one and a half to two hours. During the first day after the operation, the woman remains in the clinic under the supervision of doctors.
Recovery after reduction mammoplasty
The patient should wear compression underwear for a month after breast reduction surgery. A few days after mammoplasty, the body temperature may be slightly elevated, this is a variant of the norm.
During the rehabilitation period after reduction mammoplasty, a woman is advised to avoid active physical activity, not to visit a sauna, swimming pool, or steam room.
It will be possible to return to a normal rhythm of life and a familiar schedule in one to two weeks, depending on the healing rate of the postoperative sutures. A woman will be able to admire her beautiful, toned breasts no earlier than in six months, when the seams become invisible.
Possible complications after breast reduction
Breast reduction is a fairly serious surgical procedure, after which some complications may develop:
- when moving in the early stages of the recovery period, pain and discomfort occur;
- sensitivity decreases in the area where the operation was performed;
- hematomas appear;
- does the sensitivity of the nipples increase or decrease?;
- Hypertrophic scars may occur at the incision site;
- there is an asymmetry of the mammary glands.
- Most of the complications pass through time on their own. Serious problems may require the help of a surgeon.
The aesthetic result of reduction mammoplasty persists for quite a long time. But due to hormonal changes in the female body, for example, during pregnancy and lactation, the result of surgery can be reduced to zero. Therefore, breast reduction surgery should preferably be performed after childbirth and the end of the breastfeeding process. In addition, breast regrowth can be caused by serious hormonal problems in the female body. In these cases, the patient is prescribed appropriate treatment before mammoplasty.
