Breast reduction surgery is a popular procedure that has helped countless women achieve relief from the physical and emotional discomfort associated with large breasts. Many women may wonder if it is safe to undergo this surgery before or after pregnancy. While it is generally safe to have breast reduction surgery before pregnancy, it is important to keep in mind that pregnancy and breastfeeding can affect the size and shape of the breasts. Therefore, some women may choose to wait until after they have completed their family before undergoing breast reduction surgery. Ultimately, the decision to have breast reduction surgery before or after pregnancy should be made in consultation with a qualified plastic surgeon who can provide personalized advice based on individual circumstances.
This blog post will outline the risks of having breast reduction surgery while pregnant as well as safe procedures. This article also considers how long after having a baby can you get a breast reduction and hormone changes after breast reduction.
Breast Reduction Surgery Before or After Pregnancy
Should I Have A Breast Reduction Before Or After Pregnancy?
Breast augmentation continues to reign as the most frequently performed cosmetic breast surgery across the country year after year, but you may be surprised to learn just how common another procedure is. Hundreds of thousands of women undergo surgical breast reduction each year, often with life-changing results. Breast reduction in Long Island, NY, by the skilled team at Romanelli Cosmetic Surgery, under the direction of board-certified plastic surgeons Dr. James Romanelli and Dr. John Layliev, can help you find relief from the excruciating and frustrating symptoms associated with excessively large or heavy breasts.
With the profound impact that pregnancy and breastfeeding can make on a woman’s body, many patients wonder if breast reduction surgery is more appropriate before or after having children. Use this helpful information from our board-certified doctors to understand more about the relationship between pregnancy and breast reduction, including when it may be best to undergo the procedure.
Do I need breast reduction surgery?
Women pursue breast reduction for a variety of physical and psychological reasons, though, most commonly, the underlying concern is having overly large or heavy breasts that prevent them from living a normal, active, comfortable lifestyle. Signs and symptoms that mean you may need breast reduction include:
- Disproportionately large or heavy breasts
- Persistent shoulder and neck pain
- Poor posture
- Numbness or tingling in the arms and hands
- Loss of nipple sensation
- Difficulty finding clothing and bras that fit properly
- Painful indentions or lines from bra straps
- Discomfort with physical activity or exercise
- Low self-esteem associated with large or heavy breasts
What is breast reduction surgery like?
Breast tissue, skin, and fat are removed during breast reduction surgery to create more controllable and natural-looking breast size, shape, and weight. Your surgeon carefully makes a series of incisions on the breast in order to access the underlying tissue and structures during the long island, New York breast reduction surgery at Romanelli Cosmetic Surgery, which is carried out while the patient is under general anesthesia and typically lasts between 2 and 3 hours. Drs. Romanelli and Layliev understand the significance of minimizing visible scarring and take great care to use incisions that will minimize the amount of scarring as much as possible. How much tissue needs to be removed, among other things, will determine the precise placement and appearance of the incisions. Often, an inverted “T” incision or incisions around the areola and down the center of the breast are used. Some patients may additionally require nipple relocation or repair.
Once the required amounts of breast tissue, skin, and fat have been removed, the surgeon will ensure that the breasts are as symmetrical as possible before closing the incisions.
When should I get a breast reduction?
Surgery for breast reduction is a personal choice that is ultimately left to the patient. Yet, there are a few crucial factors to take into account while choosing the ideal timing for breast reduction. Individuals who are thinking about having breast reduction surgery should be:
- In good health
- Nonsmokers
- Maintain a healthy and stable weight
- Not pregnant
- Not breastfeeding
- Have fully developed breasts
Is it better to get breast reduction before or after pregnancy?
The majority of the time, Drs. Romanelli and Layliev highly advise patients to postpone breast reduction surgery until they are finished having children and nursing. The results of a previous breast reduction will almost certainly be compromised by a second pregnancy because the size, shape, position, and other aspects of the breasts can alter significantly during pregnancy and lactation. In order to attain the same results, many women who have breast reduction surgery after getting pregnant ultimately need to have another breast reduction, a breast revision, a breast lift, or another procedure. Also, in rare cases, breast reduction may negatively impact a mother’s ability to breastfeed in the future.
That said, our caring surgeons certainly understand that some patients may be many years away from considering pregnancy and want to achieve relief, comfort, and confidence through breast reduction surgery in the meantime. During your initial consultation, Dr. Romanelli or Dr. Layliev will evaluate your case, thoroughly discuss your concerns, symptoms, and goals, and help you make an informed decision about the most appropriate time to undergo breast reduction surgery.
Does insurance cover breast reduction?
Oftentimes, patients undergoing breast reduction surgery can receive partial or full insurance coverage for the procedure. The highly knowledgeable and experienced team at Romanelli Cosmetic Surgery will help guide you through the process of submitting documentation and applying to receive coverage for your breast reduction surgery.
Look and feel better than ever with breast reduction surgery in Long Island, NY
Don’t spend another day suffering with the physical and emotional pain of having overly large and heavy breasts. Call the friendly and compassionate team at Romanelli Cosmetic Surgery in Huntington, NY, to schedule your one-on-one consultation with either of our board-certified plastic surgeons, Dr. James Romanelli or Dr. John Layliev. We look forward to helping you finally achieve the body you’ve always dreamed of through life-changing breast reduction surgery.
Pregnancy after Breast Reduction
Patients with large breasts that are disproportionate to their body frames can suffer from neck and shoulder pain. Breast reduction surgery is an effective solution to alleviate discomfort and health issues caused by having sizable breasts.
Breast Reduction: How does it work?
Breast reduction, or Reduction Mammoplasty, is a surgical procedure that reduces the size and reshapes the breasts. The surgery removes excess tissue, fat, and skin while reshaping the breasts into a cup size proportional to the rest of the body.
In some cases, breast reduction is combined with other procedures, such as breast lift, tummy tucks, and liposuction. This is often an option for women who have experienced aesthetic problems following pregnancy or after significant weight loss.
Breast Reduction and Pregnancy
Breast reduction can be done post or pre-pregnancy. But since it is an invasive procedure, it is necessary to have at least one year between the surgery and pregnancy. This will allow the mammary system to heal naturally through processes known as recanalization and re-innervation. This is especially true if the surgery involves severing the connection between the nipple-areola complex and the mammary system, which is essential during breastfeeding.
Effects of Pregnancy on the Outcome of Breast Reduction
The outcome of breast reduction is permanent, but the effects of pregnancy on the breasts are inevitable even after the surgery. It does not shield the remaining breast tissue and fat from pregnancy-related changes. The changes in the breasts, specifically their size, will still be visible. However, its extent may be proportionally lessened depending on several factors, including:
- Amount of breast tissue after surgery
- Techniques used during surgery
- Hormone levels during and after pregnancy
- Breast size before and after pregnancy
- Skin elasticity
- The integrity of breast ligaments (Cooper’s ligaments)
- Genetic makeup
Pregnancy will not change the outcome of a breast reduction. But despite its reduced size, post-reduction breasts will still experience some degree of engorgement, mainly when producing breast milk.
The overall repercussions of pregnancy on post-reduction breast size may or may not be sufficient to need revision surgery. This is taking into consideration the fact that the alterations may be short-lived. The breasts tend to return to their post-reduction size as the body settles to its postpartum conditions.
Breast Reduction and You
For women who are suffering from having sizable breasts, breast reduction is more than an aesthetic procedure. With realistic goals and the expert guidance of a board-certified plastic surgeon, it becomes a means to enjoy everyday life without the discomfort associated with disproportionately large breasts.
How Long After Having A Baby Can You Get A Breast Reduction
In order to allow the breasts to return to their original size, it is typically advisable to wait at least 3 months, but preferably 6 months, after you have finished breastfeeding. Before to the procedure, it’s crucial to make an effort to return to your pre-pregnancy weight. This will assist in finding the ideal new breast size. After a breast reduction, excessive weight loss may cause the breasts to drop prematurely (ptosis) again and again.
Also plan after your surgery for appropriate assistance with the infant. You will want to avoid having to pick the baby up and carry the child around while you are still recovering from major surgery.
Hormone Changes After Breast Reduction
Declining Hormone Levels May Contribute to Risk
Previous studies have identified several risk factors for complications after breast reduction surgery, including obesity, extensive breast reduction and smoking.The latest study, however, is the first to pay particular attention to age.
The results suggest an increased rate of infections-and possibly other complications-after breast reduction surgery in women over 50. The increased risk is likely related to age-related declines in hormone levels, Dr. Shermak and colleagues believe. This is borne out by the trend toward increased infections among women in their forties, when hormone levels start to decline.
In addition, infections tended to be less common in women who were using hormone replacement therapy. Meanwhile, the infection rate appeared higher in women who had undergone hysterectomy or oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries), which led to sharp drops in hormone levels.
The new results suggest that age may act as a “confounding factor” in assessing the risk of complications after breast reduction surgery-especially in women over 50. Hormonal status may warrant special attention, Dr. Shermak and coauthors believe.
The researchers suggest that plastic surgeons should ask women considering breast reduction about any factors potentially related to hormonal deficiency, including a history of hysterectomy and/or oophorectomy. They also suggest that “hormone replacement therapy may be worth considering in this group of patients.”
