For women with huge breasts, having a decrease may feel like having a weight lifted off their chest, quite literally. It can relieve them from years of back, shoulder and neck pain, exercise difficulty, and chest rashes — not to mention minimal clothing options and lasting shoulder grooves from weighted bra straps. But breast reduction surgery, like any other medical procedure, has risks. It is a personal decision that requires careful consideration of the pros and cons.
Excess breast fat, glandular tissue, and hair get removed by breast reduction surgery. Breast reduction aims to achieve the size of the breast in proportion to your body. The procedure can be done to relieve the pain associated with excessively large breasts. This process is also known as mammoplasty reduction.
Excessively large breasts can cause health and emotional problems for some women. Physical discomfort can include pain in the back, neck and shoulder, and inflammation of the skin under the crease of the breast. The weight of excess breast tissue can limit the ability of a woman to lead an active life. Some women are also very aware of having large, pendulous breasts.
Things To Consider Before Surgery
Some crucial issues to keep in mind include:
- The operation can get performed at any age, but if your breasts get fully developed, it is best done.
- Piercings of the breast and nipple may cause an infection.
- Operation with breast reduction can interfere with specific diagnostic procedures.
- After breast reduction surgery, the ability to breastfeed may get reduced. When you intend to breastfeed a child in the future, you must speak to your doctor.
- Changes in the breasts during pregnancy or significant weight loss or gain can change the results of previous surgery on breast reduction.
- Think of the cost of funding. Breast reduction gets commonly referred to as a reconstructive surgical procedure (although it contains a cosmetic component), so the surgery may be covered by health insurance if it is performed to relieve medical symptoms.
- There is an increased risk of complications for smokers. You should try to stop smoking if you are serious about having cosmetic surgery.
Finding The Right Surgeon
You may want to ask your doctor for advice on an acceptable and reliable doctor or hospital for breast reduction. You should tell the surgeon about their training and experience at your first appointment.
A reputable specialist surgeon who is specially trained to perform breast reduction and has a lot of experience in performing this type of surgery is preferable to have this procedure performed.
After Surgery Self-Care Tips
Be directed by your doctor, but general tips for self-care include:
- Follow all directions on how to care for your injuries.
- Expect a healing period of at least one month if you had a free nipple graft.
- Stop a month’s lifting and workout.
- Allow for a few weeks to have some soreness and swelling.
- Help the breasts with a well-equipped sports bra or bra.
- Document to your doctor any bleeding, severe pain, or abnormal symptoms.
Long-term After Surgery Outlook
With time, surgical swelling will decrease. Fading into faint lines can take about 18 months for the scarring. Satisfaction will continue to grow with your new image as you recover. The original breast size will help alleviate the discomfort and physical limitations encountered before breast reduction, and you may find that a better-proportioned body will increase confidence in yourself. This procedure’s result should be irreversible. However, due to aging, weight fluctuations, hormonal causes, and gravity, the breasts will change over time.