Breast Reduction - Salt Lake City | Fairbanks Plastic Surgery Center

About this procedure

The medical term for very large breasts is Mammary Hyperplasia or Macromastia. Women who have extremely large breasts typically suffer a variety of problems related to their large breasts. These issues include back pain, neck pain, shoulder strap pain, headaches, intermittent numbness and tingling of the hands, and breast pain, if they go without a bra. Some women also develop rashes where their breasts rub against the skin underneath. This is called intertrigo.

Large breasts can also get in the way of many physical activities, which other people are able to engage in, such as golf, tennis, running, etc. Some women dislike the unwanted degree of attention that large breasts can bring, and find them awkward when navigating through a crowd.

Breast reduction surgery is the one reliable solution for alleviating the symptoms of pain and discomfort that are caused by large breasts. If you are seeking reduction in the size of your breasts, you also teed to consider the shape. The breasts, following surgical reduction, need to be a work of artistic beauty. Do not be deceived by someone who offers to reduce your breasts by liposuction. It doesn’t work. Liposuction is intended to correct figure faults, but it cannot provide a good result for breast reduction and may result in disaster.

As in mastopexy or breast lift, the location, position, and size of the nipples is of the utmost importance. Unfortunately, surgeons who lack an artistic aptitude/training may not appreciate the finer points of human proportion, which are essential to this operation. When the nipple has been put in the wrong place, it is difficult, if not impossible, to correct. If the surgeon gives the excuse, “That’s just the way it’s done,” that means he or she simply does not know how to perform the operation properly to get the optimal results. The following diagram shows the proper, anatomically correct nipple placement.

Correct nipple placement.

During breast reduction surgery, the plastic surgeon must take the utmost care and attention to achieve artistic anatomical design to recreate the natural looking breast of normal size. There are a number of cosmetic operations available for breast reduction. Some procedures, however, fall short of achieving the ideal result. This can lead to patient disappointment; such procedures should be avoided. Correcting a less than desirable result can be difficult if not impossible.

When you come in for your consultation at Fairbanks Plastic Surgery Center, a board certified plastic surgeon will make a thorough review of your situation, and a detailed plan will be created in order to provide you with the best possible appearance. Alternative methods for breast reduction will be reviewed together, along with the pros and cons of each. Preservation of nipple sensation is of paramount importance, as is the minimization of scarring. These topics will also be discussed in detail.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I have bad scars? In order to achieve the ideal breast shape, certain scars are necessary. The quality of the scars depends on the surgeon’s technique as well as patient after-care. We close the incisions with two layers of sutures beneath the skin, so you will have no visible cross-hatching suture marks. If we can avoid excessive tension on the scars, to avoid spreading, in time the scars will appear to disappear.
Will I still have nipple sensation? Nipple sensation is provided by the fourth intercostal segmental nerve. Your surgeons know the course of this nerve and in most instance are able to preserve your nipple sensation.
Will I be able to nurse after surgery? In the procedure we use, there will be from one-fourth to one-third of the breast glandular tissue that is still attached to the nipple that is capable of producing milk. Many of our younger patients who have undergone this procedure have been able to nurse a child after the surgery.

Things to Avoid in Breast Reduction Surgery:

Avoid the nipple-only incision approach, as well as the vertical-only incision, as these cannot be expected to provide you an optimal result.
Above all, avoid liposuction for breast reduction. Adding a catch-phrase name to some variant of the liposuction machine does not assure you a good result in an ill-conceived procedure. If someone attempts to sell you this approach, run! It may destroy the gland and leave you with a horrible deformity.

A patient considering breast reduction surgery should plan on taking at least two weeks off from work for recuperation, after which most duties can be resumed. Your doctors will explain to you how the optimal size and shape of the breast is achieved using the most accurate measurements and aesthetic concepts.