Breast Reduction

What happens after you meet your surgeon?

After your questions are discussed with the doctor, you will most likely speak with the patient care or surgical coordinator to receive a quote and decide on a day and time for your surgery. Many practices will perform the surgery either within a nearby hospital, accredited office-based surgery center within their office, or an ambulatory surgery center outside of the office. Once you book your procedure you may be asked to get certain lab work performed, receive a medical evaluation from your internist or surgeon, stop smoking prior to surgery, and discontinue the use of aspirin, herbal supplements, and other drugs that may increase bleeding.

You should also leave your doctor’s office with a solid understanding of the procedure, step by step instructions on what to do the night before and morning of surgery, post-operative care instructions, and consents to sign and return regarding anesthesia and your Breast Reduction procedure. Before your surgery you will want to arrange for someone to drive you to and from surgery and to stay with you following surgery, for at least the first night. A post-op care facility focused on plastic and cosmetic surgery patients may be an option.

Breast Reductions require one visit and usually take 2-4 hours to perform. Breast Reduction surgery is usually done under general anesthesia. The specific type of incision and the techniques used in your Breast Reduction will vary depending on the size and shape of your breasts and the desired amount of reduction.

In a Breast Reduction, excess breast tissue, fat and skin are removed to reduce the size of the breasts. This is done through one or more types of incisions, the most common being an anchor shaped incision starting around the areola and going vertically down the breast and horizontally along the crease under the breast. In some cases, the horizontal incision is not necessary. While it's common to keep the nipple and areola attached to the breast tissue during a Breast Reduction, it may not be possible in very extensive reduction surgeries. In these cases, the areola and nipple may be moved. Blood vessels and nerves affected by a Breast Reduction can result in a permanent loss of sensation and can result in the inability to breast-feed. It's possible you may need to make the decision to sacrifice sensation and the possibility of breast-feeding in order to achieve your desired breast size in a Breast Reduction.

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