Breast reduction surgery is the process of removing excess skin, fat and breast tissue.
Breasts can enlarge for many reasons. For example; they can grow up due to hormonal, genetic or weight gain. Very large breasts are not aesthetically beautiful and can affect the health of the person physically.
Every woman’s dream is to have perfect and upright breasts. Due to genetic factors, weight loss, and childbirth, large breasts may sag and affect individuals’ self confidence negatively however, it is possible to reshape the breast tissue with breast reduction operation to give the best breast size proportion.
Breast Reduction surgery, or reduction mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to correct overly breasts for women. This will reduce the size of the breast and heaviness that women have to support.
Women considering breast reduction surgery commonly experience health concerns that can affect them physically and emotionally.
The benefits of having breast reduction surgery include a more proportional breast-to-body relationship, less shoulder, neck and upper back discomfort.
Additionally this procedure will lessen the discomfort during physical activities such as running and other sport activities. Breast reduction will give the breast a lifted, rejuvenated and more youthful position.
What is Breast Reduction Surgery?
The purpose of the breast reduction operation is to reach the symmetrical and wanted size of breast.
In this method, it is aimed to reduce the breast size to improve patients’ self-image and the ability to take action in physical activities.
Moreover, the surgery helps to ease discomforts such as chronic back, neck, nerve and shoulder pain, restricted physical activity, and chronic skin irritation under the breasts.
Most patients that require removal of excess skin with the excess of breast tissue and therefore an incision are made to excess the skin.
The incisions are made around the edge of the areola and from the bottom of the areola to the crease under the breasts “also called a “vertical’ or “lollipop” technique”.
A third incision in the crease under the breast may also be added to allow for even more reduction in size if required. Often women find that there is extra skin just to the side of their breast on the chest wall also called “bra rolls” can be corrected. The bra rolls often stick out above or below the bra straps on the side.
How Does Breast Reduction Surgery Perform?
Before breast reduction surgery, individuals would consult with the surgeon to discuss the process and have more information about the patient’s history. Afterwards, breast pictures are taken to organize the surgical plan.
The operation is carried out based on this plan. Since there is a breast size for each body structure, it is crucial for the surgeon to plan the process.
After the consultation, the process is done with the light of certain techniques and plans. In the operation, the gladder tissue, adipose tissue, the skin, and nipple area of the breast are reduced.
While the breast tissue is reduced, the saggy skin caused by the excess tissue is removed as well. This helps to have smaller and firmer breasts. It is important to understand that incisions made during breast reduction will result in scars after surgery.
These scars generally heal well and will become lighter in color over time. The scars are not visible in bra or swim suits. However as with all scars, they are visible when you are not clothed and they are permanent.
Depending on the breast volume and age of the patient, it could only be a limited operation scar around the nipple, a scar extending down from the nipple also known as vertical technique or an inverted t-shaped shape.
Right after the surgery, these scars would become red and pink however, over time, they would return to the patient’s skin color. Regardless of the used technique, the scars would remain in the bra under the nipple. Usually, the scaring technique (T-Shaped) is used.
The Best Candidates For Breast Reduction
Very large breasts can cause women to dislike their own body, even when wearing clothes, and cause pain in the back, shoulder and even neck areas.
Along with these, there may be compression in the nerves going to the hands and arms and in the neck region with various posture disorders. This prevents doing various physical activities.
Dropped shoulders and a slightly hunched posture are frequently observed in women. Very large breasts can have a psychological and physical effect on the person. It causes a lack of self-confidence in women.
Breast reduction surgery reduces the size of women’s breasts and aims to provide comfort and self-confidence to women.
Breast reduction surgery not only helps to treat most complaints related to large breasts, but also helps to obtain breasts that are symmetrical with each other, smaller and naturally-tipped and not sagging.
Most women who have breast reduction feel that the size of their breasts restrict their activities and cause them physical discomfort. They are more interested in physical relief than simply cosmetic improvement.
In most cases, breast reduction isn’t performed until a woman’s breasts are fully developed. It can be done earlier if large breasts are causing serious physical discomfort.
The best breast reduction candidates are those who are mature enough to fully understand the procedure and have realistic expectation about the results. Breast reduction is not recommended for women who want to breastfeed.
In order to have breast reduction surgery;
- You must not have any additional diseases,
- It is recommended that your health is exactly where possible,
- It is very important that you do not smoke,
- Preferably, you should have quit smoking 6 weeks before. (Purpose: To prevent tissue circulation disorders that may occur due to smoking)
How Long Does Breast Reduction Surgery Take?
The operation is performed under general anesthesia. The surgery varies depending on the breast volume however, it takes about 3-5 hours for both breasts. Patients stay in the hospital for the first 1 day.
The drain tubes in the breasts (tubes that drain the blood collections inside) are taken on the 1st or 2nd day after the operation. If everything goes normal under the watch of the surgeon, 5-6 dressings would be sufficient.
On the days after the operation, dressings are facilitated with special carrier bras to help to reduce swelling. After the 5th-7th days, patients could take a bath and after the 8th day. While bruises would disappear within the 7-10 days, it takes 6-8 weeks for swellings to be healed.
There are two types of problems after surgery. These are called early and late problems;
- In early problems, bleeding, infection, problems in wound healing could be seen however, these happen extremely rare,
- Late issues could be related to the shape and scars of the breasts. In dark-skinned people, scars, redness, and itching could be common compared to individuals with pale skin.
The technique we use is called Central Pedicle Technique which does not disrupt the nipple-mammary gland relationship. The advantage of this technique is it does not disrupt milk channels. This means patients would be able to breastfeed after the surgery.
Breast Reduction Surgery Recovery Period
After breast reduction surgery, the patient usually stays in the hospital for 1 night. Drains are used to prevent leaks that may occur in the breast, and the drains are removed for an average of 2 days.
The patient can shower after 3 days of dressing. Medications and creams prescribed after surgery should be applied as described by the patient and this is very important for best results.
Before discharge, the patient wears a special bra and wears this bra for 1 month. Depending on the technique to be applied, the time to take the final shape of the breasts may vary.
For example; In methods with less scars and vertical scars, it takes 6 months for the breasts to take their final shape, with more scars and 1-2 months in the reverse “T” method. As the swelling decreases, the shapes of the breasts begin to appear more clearly.
On average, 1 week is sufficient for the patient to return to a completely normal life after the surgery. A period of 6 weeks is sufficient to do sports activities.
Recovery time can vary from person to person. Your doctor will inform you in detail about the recovery and follow-up plan that is most suitable for you.
Risks of Breast Reduction Surgery
As with any surgery, breast reduction surgery can have certain risks. Even if precautions are taken against all of these, unforeseen situations may arise. However, the necessary interventions to overcome all of them are made by the surgical team.
The risk in the first 24 hours is known as bleeding to the operation area. This can occur in approximately 1 – 2 of every 100 patients. The amount of this bleeding is monitored, and if it is predicted that it will not regress as a result of the follow-up, evacuation is performed with a short operation performed on the same night. In this case, the aesthetic situation is not affected, only the operation is performed under an additional anesthesia.
In the early weeks, common complications can be wound infections and healing problems in the sutures that may be related to this. In this case, it is very common especially where the vertical track joins the horizontal track, where the tension is highest.
The risk of complications increases in conditions such as diabetes, smoking, and soft tissue diseases. For this reason, diabetes and soft tissue disease should be under control before the operation, and smoking should be stopped if possible.
This risk can be around 2-4 people in every 100 people. In this case, while it almost always recovers with dressings, it may be appropriate to suture with a local operation under very rare conditions.
Male Breast Reduction Surgery
Breast reduction surgery can be performed also in men. If feminine breast tissue is developed in male patients, this condition is called gynecomastia.
Gynecomastia can happen to anyone during adolescence. In advanced ages, it can become permanent in 10-15% of patients.
The reasons are as follows:
- Various drugs,
- Diet,
- Habits,
- Diseases.
Before deciding on breast reduction surgery in men, the reason for the size of the breast should be determined first. When deciding for gynecomastia, how much skin and how much tissue excess is decided.
Fatty tissue is removed by liposuction method. The hard tissue under the nipple is removed by entering a small and non-marking incision made in the border of the dark area of the nipple.
If there is too much skin in the breasts, it may be necessary to perform scarred breast reduction, as is done in breast reduction in women.
Could Patients Breastfeed After Surgery?
There are some factor that could affect the breastfeeding situation of the patient. These are the size of the breast, the sagging rate, and the age of the patient.
For those who would like to have a pregnancy, breastfeeding function could be maintained by using techniques that protect the mammary gland and nipple. Some large breasts would need adequate reduction, breastfeeding function could be sacrificed within the knowledge of the patient.
How Long Should I Wear a Bra After The Surgery?
It is recommended to wear a sports bra or surgical bra for a month after the surgery. Patients should not be doing any intense exercise. After the 6th month, the breast would get the ideal size. It is recommended to wear fashion underwear after 6 months.
Is There Any Scar After Breast Reduction Surgery?
The clarity of the scar that will remain after breast reduction surgery varies according to three criteria. These criteria are;
- The technique applied,
- The genetic structure of the person,
- Environmental factors.
In order to reduce the amount of scars formed, techniques with less scars are preferred in suitable patients.
There is no chance to change a person’s genetics. However, not smoking and eating a diet rich in vitamin C and protein reduces the clarity of the scar.
It is possible to reduce the clarity of the trace, but it is not possible to leave no trace with today’s technology. After your breast reduction surgery, special creams are prescribed by your doctor to reduce scarring and the possibility of puffy scars.
What Should I be Aware of After the Surgery?
Patients should avoid heavy workouts for the first month after the operation. We do recommend taking a rest for the first 3 days. For the first month, it is not recommended to do push-pull or heavy lifting activities.
How Much Does Breast Reduction Surgery Cost in Istanbul, Turkey?
The cost of breast reduction surgery varies according to the technique to be applied. To give an example; The costs of nipple reduction, vertical scar reduction or inverted T scar reduction surgeries are different from each other.
The basic calculation measure here is the amount of work to be applied. The same fee applies to all patients who will be charged the same amount of work.
Breast reduction surgery gives women a more aesthetic appearance and increases their self-confidence. Women look more fit in the clothes they want to wear after breast reduction surgery.
The real purpose of breast reduction surgery; to reduce the disturbing symptoms caused by large breasts and to offer a better quality of life.
With technological opportunities and developing aesthetic surgery methods, it is much easier to get the breast reduction surgery look you want.
In order to get more detailed information about the breast reduction surgery and to get information about the technique suitable for you, you should be examined by our doctor. You can learn your price information in the most accurate way at the end of the examination.
For Ministry of Health-accredited centers, it is not legal to specify prices on their website. Therefore, please dial 0212 241 46 24 to contact Quartz Clinique and get information on Breast Reduction Surgery Prices in Istanbul, Turkey.
