Adequately sized breasts have a significant impact on our overall appearance. Large breasts sag, can cause health problems and hurt our self-esteem. They are also a problem in sports and other physical activities. Their owners often suffer from back, neck or shoulder pain. Frequent skin under the breasts and blisters from bra straps are also a problem. The solution in such cases may be surgical breast reduction – reduction mammaplasty.
Breast reduction
The course of surgery, recovery:
- 1A prerequisite for the operation is good health so that the patient can undergo general anaesthesia. All pre-operative examinations will be performed directly at our clinic in the anaesthesiology outpatient clinic.
- 2During the consultation, the doctor informs the patient about possible side effects and possible complications. These are temporary hematomas, swelling, mild discomfort, numbness and dry tender breast skin. Suboptimal scarring with hypertrophic scar formation, marginal necrosis of the skin or areola, infection, unexpected nipple position (asymmetry), and the possibility of permanent loss of nipple and/or breast sensation may occur after the procedure.
- 3The surgery technique itself is always adapted to individual needs. The incision is made circularly around the areola of the nipple and then perpendicularly downwards.
- 4 Before the surgery, the plastic surgeon will take photos of you and draw the surgical incisions.
- 5 During surgery, after the removal of excess tissue (fat, glands and skin), the breast tissues that remain are sutured and sculpted to the desired size and shape.
- 6The resulting scars are usually around the areola and in a vertical line pointing downward. In many cases, there is also a horizontal scar under the breast, which eventually resembles the shape of the so-called anchor. During surgery, the surgeon will insert drains into your wounds to drain the bleeding, which are usually removed the next day. Wounds are sutured with absorbable stitches that gradually disappear.
- 7After the procedure, the doctor will cover the wounds with a sterile drape and firm the breasts with an elastic bandage or a special elastic, compression bra.
Frequently asked questions
In addition to the cost of the surgery, the financial cost of the procedure may include a pre-operative examination, anaesthesia, compression garments and hospitalisation. For this procedure, the total price is around 2680,- €.
This does not differ significantly from the regimen after breast sculpting or breast augmentation.
You will be seen by a doctor one week after surgery.
Resting and wearing a compression bra continuously for at least 5 to 6 weeks after surgery is very important.
You can usually return to work in as little as a week or two, depending on the level of effort required.
A gradual return to more strenuous activities can be expected after approximately 4- 6 weeks. The fading of scars can take several months to a year.
The procedure is not suitable for patients with acute disease, active inflammation, patients with severe autoimmune diseases, unbalanced diabetes, patients with poor blood clotting, active herpes, and pregnant and lactating women.
Good general health is an essential prerequisite for the operation, due to the necessity of undergoing general anaesthesia. All pre-operative examinations will be performed directly at our clinic in the anaesthesiology outpatient clinic, during the consultation, the doctor informs the patient about possible complications.
These include bleeding, usually only temporary haematomas, swelling, scarring, prolonged healing or breakdown of wounds, necrosis/death of the peripheral skin or nipples and areolae, infection, asymmetry of the breasts as well as the areolae and nipples, the possibility of permanent loss of sensation in the nipples and areolae or breasts, change in pigmentation of the nipple and areolae, loss of the ability to breastfeed.
In principle, breast reduction can be performed at any age, but it is advisable to wait until the breasts have stopped developing.
Women who plan to have children and breastfeed should bear in mind that this surgery may have a negative impact on their later ability to breastfeed, and there are also likely to be changes in breast shape and size as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.