Simply put, sleeping on your back keeps your breasts in an optimal position for healing. We therefore recommend you keep this position for eight to 12 weeks post-surgery. Some online sources suggest four to six weeks are enough, but you will continue healing beyond this short window of time.
In this blog post we’ll discusses question like Common problems after breast reduction surgery and How long after breast reduction will I know my size.
How Long Is Recovery Time For Breast Reduction
Breast reduction is also called reduction mammoplasty. It is performed by a plastic surgeon to reduce the size of large breasts. People who undergo reduction mammoplasty tend to be the most satisfied patients treated by plastic surgeons. It can be performed at any age following puberty. Patients, including older ones, tend to experience immediate relief from their neck, shoulder, and back pain. Scars that result from this procedure usually heal very well. Occasionally, some redundancy may be present that may require liposuction additionally.
Why is breast reduction done?
This procedure may prove useful for women with
- Large breasts, disproportionate to the body frame.
- Large, heavy breasts causing significant neck, back, and shoulder pain.
- Grooves in the shoulders from the weight of bra straps.
- Difficulty wearing and fitting in clothes.
- Breasts that interfere with sports and exercise.
- Skin irritation beneath their breasts.
- Asymmetrical breasts.
- Self-consciousness or aesthetic concerns.
Who should not undergo breast reduction?
Some people are medically unable to undergo the surgery when other systemic diseases are present. Smokers should quit smoking prior to the procedure because it increases the risk of complications.
Breast reduction and age:
- Patients may seek reduction mammoplasty starting at puberty. If reduction mammoplasty is performed at an early age, such as 14 years, patients may require an additional procedure.
- If breasts are significantly large, surgery can be performed in the teenage years.
- Patients should undergo a preoperative mammogram if they are older than 35 years.
How is breast reduction performed?
In breast reduction, the most important goal is re-establishing a functional breast with normal sensitivity and saving the nipple-areola complex (NAC), with the ability to breastfeed, which is proportionate in size to the woman’s body.
There are several techniques to perform a breast reduction. One of the preferred techniques is the inferior pedicle technique. “Pedicle method” means the surgeon leaves an attached tissue graft (pedicle) with the nerves and blood vessels that supply the breast.
A pedicle can be superior, lateral, medial, inferior, or central. With the inferior pedicle technique, the blood supply to the nipple and areola remains generous. As a result, the inferior pedicle has proven sufficient to sustain NAC with good circulation, good sensation, and breastfeeding ability. In patients with extremely large breasts, the surgeon may consider a free nipple graft to avoid the loss of NAC.
During the procedure:
- The surgery is performed under general anesthesia.
- Breast reduction reduces the skin envelope and volume of the breast tissue, and the nipple is repositioned.
- The breasts are not reduced to a standard size but to one that is compatible with the patient’s body.
- The breast tissue is carefully preserved, marked, and protected so that each specimen from each breast can be evaluated by a pathologist to detect malignancy of the breasts.
- The incision is closed in layers, which heals with minimal scarring in most people.
- Some surgeons opt for surgical drain placement to drain excess blood or fluid accumulation.
Common Problems After Breast Reduction Surgery
- Skin loss and delayed wound healing. …
- Hematoma. …
- Nipple-areola necrosis. …
- Fat necrosis. …
- Nipple retraction. …
- Secondary breast deformity; changes in shape and bottoming out. …
- Hypertrophied and symptomatic scars. …
- Nipple-areola malposition.
How Long After Breast Reduction Will I Know My Size
It is challenging to predict post-surgery for several reasons.
Breast volume has historically been hard to measure due to shape and size breast diversity. This lack of standardized breast measurements makes it difficult to assess postoperative results.
There is no standardization of bra cup sizes among bra manufacturers. So, a D cup from one company could be a C cup in another.
Additionally, many large-breasted women wear incorrect bra sizes before surgery, supporting or concealing their breasts in bras that are too small.
Surgeons consider measurements in inches, which provide an accurate look at how much tissue to remove to get the best results for the patient.