Dr Michael Kaplan - Missouri Breast Reduction

Breast reduction is also called breast mammoplasty and is an elective surgical procedure which allows the size of the breasts to be reduced by removing fat, skin, and other glandular tissues from the breasts. Candidates for this type of surgery vary as do their needs. Often, a woman with large breasts that tend to sag may seek this, which helps improve the look of the breasts and offer a more comfortable body form and lifestyle. A woman with especially large breasts, or gigantomastia, will often suffer chronic pain in the head, neck, back, and shoulders, which often ushers in breathing problems to the mix as well. Even some males develop a condition called gynecomastia, wherein this procedure can be used to remove the fatty tissue that may have developed from reaching adolescence.

The procedure and techniques for a breast reduction usually involves only general anesthesia, and always begins first with the doctor and patient deciding on the desired new position of the areolas and nipples. Following a breast reduction procedure, it may often only take a few weeks for initial recovery, though the body will often need much more time to adapt to the new breast size, often up to a year and especially after a woman’s next menstrual cycle.

There are five main techniques followed in this procedure. The interior pedicle technique is also called a keyhole, or inverted-T, and begins with excess fat and tissue being removed. The areola and nipple are moved up then to a higher position and this technique is often used for women with the largest and droopiest breasts.

A vertical scar technique is popular for it’s minimal scarring appearance. This type is designed more for smaller reductions with less excess skin to limit scar length. Surgery time is usually shorter and results tend to last more permanently.

A horizontal scar technique involves an incision along the inframammary fold and a cutout around the NAC (nipple and areola complex) and offers a shorter scar option as well. Women who are too large for vertical scar incision will often use this technique.

Two other techniques are the liposuction-only and free nipple graft. The liposuction is good for women with smaller breasts already or may have risks applied to uses of anesthesia. This is not a drastic change surgery but offers a quicker recovery time and minimal scarring. Free nipple graft simply allows the nipple and areola to be completely removed and moved higher on the breast, though eliminating the possibility of lactation and areola sensation.