Breast Reduction

The most important factor to consider is recognizing that you would rather have smaller and perkier breasts with healed surgical incisions than how you are now without healed surgical incisions.

– Reduction in neck, back, shoulder, and breast pain.
– Reduction of rashes that can occur under pendulous breasts.
– Alleviation of grooving from bra straps.
– Feeling more proportionate and being able to wear a greater variety of clothing and lingerie.
– Improved self-esteem and not feeling that people are staring at your breasts.
– Increased ability to exercise and play sports.
– Feeling lighter and more energetic.

Yes, a breast reduction includes a breast lift. The procedure involves removing and tightening the skin, which takes care of the lift. Tissue is also removed on the inside, which takes care of the reduction.

No, your nipple will never be removed. There is a common misconception, but the nipple always remains attached to the breast. The skin around the nipple is removed and tightened, but the nipple itself is preserved.

The amount of reduction will be discussed between you and Dr. Stephenson. It’s important to understand that the actual footprint of the breast on the chest may not change significantly in most situations. There is an ideal breast volume that will create the most aesthetic result, and this will be determined during your consultation.

Yes, reduction clients typically achieve a natural and pretty shape. Unlike breast augmentation, which can result in an excessively perky and round appearance, a breast reduction aims to create a more proportionate and aesthetically pleasing shape. The shape of the breasts after reduction is usually significantly better than before, and they will look and feel natural.

Most of the results from a breast reduction are permanent, as the tissue that is removed is gone. However, remaining breast tissue can fluctuate with hormones and the fat in the breast can fluctuate with weight changes. Additionally, natural droopiness can increase over time due to gravity. It’s important to note that breasts, like all body parts, will naturally change over time.

If you gain weight after a breast reduction, your breasts may increase in size. However, they are unlikely to become as large as they were before unless you gain a significant amount of weight.

A standard breast reduction typically results in an “anchor” healed incision. This healed incision goes around the nipple, straight down to the bottom, and across the underneath part of the breast. This type of healed incision provides the greatest shaping in all three dimensions. Some surgeons may offer a “vertical” lift, which has a scar around the nipple and straight down to the bottom of the breast. However, many surgeons do not consider the shape of breasts with a vertical lift as attractive, as there is one less direction of control for the surgeon. Additionally, the quality of the scar may be less due to skin bunching. The vertical technique often requires scar revision, including the placement of a horizontal scar at the bottom at a later date.

Loss of sensation is a risk of breast reduction. Some women with large breasts may have already experienced a loss of sensation due to the stretching of their nerves, so this may not be an issue for them. However, for others who have a lot of sensation, the risk of losing that sensation is important to consider. Changes in breast sensation are difficult to measure and quantify. While most patients do not experience a reduction in feeling, it’s ultimately a personal decision to prioritize smaller breasts even if it means a potential loss of sensation.

Yes, mammograms can be done after a breast reduction, and they are just as effective as if the reduction had not been done. In fact, if the breasts were very large and pendulous before the reduction, mammograms may be easier to perform and interpret after the procedure. It’s important to continue regular breast screenings. Dr. Stephenson recommends getting a mammogram done at least 6 months after your surgery and then following your primary care physician’s recommendations for future mammograms.

Today’s techniques for breast reduction do not cut the milk ducts. Studies have shown that two-thirds of women who undergo a breast reduction are able to breastfeed afterwards. However, it’s important to note that not all of the one-third who couldn’t breastfeed would have been able to do so without the reduction. Many women with large breasts may have stretched out ducts and flattened nipples, making it difficult for babies to latch on. In such cases, strong consideration should be given to supplementing with formula.

Dr. Stephenson uses general anesthesia for breast reduction surgeries to ensure that the patient doesn’t feel any pain or anxiety.

If a patient has symptoms of neck, back, shoulder, and breast pain, or a history of rashes under the breasts, most insurance companies will cover the cost of a breast reduction. However, insurance companies are becoming stricter over time. They often require the removal of a certain amount of breast tissue and/or failure in conservative treatment (physical therapy, chiropractic care, weight loss, etc.) over 3 months in order to approve coverage. It’s important to note that even if the insurance company agrees to pay, there may still be significant financial responsibility unless you choose a plastic surgeon who is “in network” with your insurance provider. PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Stephenson is not contracted with any insurance companies, and we do not preauthorize or bill insurance. Our office will provide you with the operative note to submit to your provider.

Detailed instructions will be provided to you after you have scheduled your surgery. The bra you will need to wear after surgery will be provided to you. On the day of surgery, it’s recommended to wear a comfortable sweatshirt top that you can easily zip on and off.

In most cases, clients are well enough to go home after a breast reduction and do not need to go to an aftercare facility. However, some clients may choose to go to an aftercare facility if they do not have someone to watch over them the night of surgery or if their home environment is not conducive to relaxation and recovery. Dr. Stephenson has a vetted list of aftercare facilities for his clients.

Most clients describe the recovery period as more sore than painful. They may feel achy and experience pressure, but the pain is typically not sharp or severe. Pain gradually builds up, so if you start feeling uncomfortable, taking a pain medication as prescribed by your surgeon will help alleviate the discomfort.

Dr. Stephenson will personally call you on the night of your surgery. He will also provide you with his personal cell phone and email address so that you can reach him directly if needed.

When you feel ready to do your job is highly individualized. So long as your work doesn’t involve straining and heavy lifting, you can expect to be back to work after no later than 2 weeks. Some people go back even sooner, and many work from home 3-4 days after surgery.

You can drive when you are off all narcotic pain medication and feel totally unrestricted by your discomfort such that you could make any movement you might need to safely drive your car. The timeline is different for each client. Dr. Stephenson typically recommends 2 weeks after surgery.

Long air travel (greater than 1 and ½ hours) should be avoided during the first 4 weeks after surgery to reduce the rare possible of a blood forming in the legs during air travel. Other issues involved have to do with the difficulty of getting through airports these days, and whether you are going somewhere where there is a plastic surgeon to look after you or should you have questions or problems or just need to be looked at by an experienced doctor. These issues are usually very individualized, and you should discuss them with Dr. Stephenson.

Dr. Stephenson suggests that you wait a minimum of 4 weeks to be sure that everything is healed. There is always a chance of causing bleeding if you start much before that time. When you start, listen to your body. You will be a little out of condition and a bit sore. But you will get back to where you were before surgery very quickly.

Sex can be resumed as you feel comfortable. Most often patients hit their level of comfort in 3-7 days. Again, respect the fact that you have undergone surgery and try to avoid the manipulation of the incisions.

This is tricky. Unfortunately, your child does not understand your restrictions. Your child still needs your love and attention. If you have support from a partner, family member and/ or friend then they can lift and place your child in your arms. If your child is cooperative and weighs up 10 to 35 pounds, Dr, Stephenson recommends waiting 10-14 days, if at all possible. Don’t try to pick up your child if he or she is upset.

Cigarettes pose a particular hazard to patients undergoing this operation. They shrink critical small blood vessels that are important for healing in breast reduction. Smoking cessation is the best choice for our clients overall health. You should cease smoking at least 4 weeks prior to surgery and wait a minimum of three weeks after surgery if you are compelled to resume. This is a very real and very important issue with this operation.

You can take a shower the day after surgery. You should wait about three weeks before taking a bath so that your incisions are somewhat healed.

Dr. Stephenson wants to see everyone 48 hours after surgery to be sure that everything is okay. We offer clients frequent visits thereafter, usually at one week, one month, six months, one year, and yearly thereafter. But some clients will come more frequently, some less frequently. We do not charge for these visits. Some people have little questions they want answered, and other people feel fine on their own. But he is always available for a client who wants to come in. It is not uncommon for breast reduction clients to have a “spitting stitch” or a small area here or there of delayed healing that he will need to see. So, the visits are more on an “on or if-needed” basis than anything specific.

Swelling increases after surgery, usually peaking about 5-6 days after surgery. After that, the swelling will subside, rapidly at first, and then gradually. After one month, you’ll think the swelling is gone, but it will still go down more at three months, and even more at six months and even a year, though at that point changes are subtle.

Usually there is a little bit of bruising on and around the breast, but it is typically very mild and is all gone by ten days to two weeks. This duration of bruising can be shortened by using Arnica and Bromalin tablets starting 3 days prior to surgery and continuing for 5-7 days after surgery.

Initially, you will have surgical dressings that will be removed at your first appointment. We will give you a sports bra that zips in the front so that it is easy to take on and off after surgery, and it will provide a gentle amount of compression. All reduction clients feel more comfortable with a bra. It is normal for the skin to ooze a bit for about four or five days after surgery. Dr. Stephenson recommends the use of gauze pads or pantie liners to tuck into your bra to absorb this.

– It is okay to shower 48 hours after surgery and get the incision wet.
– Gently wash your breasts with a soapy washcloth to remove any small crusting.
– After showering, blot the incisions dry and reapply fresh gauze or panty liners.
– Apply a rich moisturizer all over your breasts, but avoid putting it over the incisions.

For a standard reduction, the stitches will dissolve on their own.

The quality of your healed surgical incision is mostly determined by genetics and your body’s response to surgery. It is not clear how much applying products to scars will influence their final appearance, but most patients want to do something. Some products that have received positive patient feedback include Scar Guard (a liquid containing steroid, Vitamin E, and silicone), silicone gel strips (such as Neosporin scar strips), and silicone ointment (such as Scar Fade). You can obtain these products from our office and start using them as directed by Dr. Stephenson.

– It is normal for the two sides of the body to swell differently after operating on both breasts, but they generally serve as a control for each other.
– If one breast is significantly larger or more painful, please let us know immediately.
– If the incisions become red, tender, or inflamed, please inform us.
– Sometimes there may be a slight separation along the incision or a “spitting” suture, and we can assist you in treating this.