Breast Reduction Miami – Reduction Mammaplasty

Breast reduction has numerous benefits. For one, it can provide relief from physical discomfort as disproportionate breasts can cause strain on a woman’s body. The extra weight of heavy breasts can adversely alter your posture, hence leading to spinal problems like slip discs and herniated discs. It can also irritate the skin beneath the breasts.

If you are having a hard time looking for a bra that fits your boobs, the straps of the bras that you are currently using can produce painful indentations on your shoulders. Moreover, these ill-fitting bras can lead to breathing difficulties.

Breast reduction surgery can remove the strain on your neck, back, and shoulders, thus giving you a chance to correct your posture and reduce the overall pain you are feeling. You can even participate freely in sports and other physical activities without the difficulty of carrying heavy, bouncing breasts.

Another perk of breast reduction is improved physical appearance. It can create breast contours that are more proportional to your body, correct asymmetry for unequal-sized breasts, and deliver smaller and firmer breast contours similar to those achieved with a breast lift. It can even allow you to choose comfortable and stylish clothes without worrying about whether they will fit in your chest area or not.

As a result of these physical benefits, you get to regain self-confidence and positive self-image when you undergo breast reduction surgery.

Candidates

You can get a breast reduction in Miami if you experience difficulties because of the weight of your large breasts. Some of the symptoms associated with this include neck and back pain, deep strap marks from your bra, and a possibility of breaking the skin, which can cause irritation and infection.

But in spite of these symptoms, you should only undergo breast reduction if you have a strong desire to do so in order to alleviate the discomfort associated with excessively large breasts. You should have realistic expectations about the surgery, as well as enough knowledge about your various surgical options.

You should only get a breast reduction if your breasts are already mature and you are physically healthy. If you have plans to breastfeed, it is best to get a breast reduction surgery after having children so as to avoid the risk of losing your ability to breastfeed.

Breast Reduction for Men

It is actually quite common for men to experience gynecomastia—a medical condition resulting in abnormally large breasts in men. Around 40 to 60 percent of men all over the world have this condition, and while the majority of them do not do anything about it, there are those who feel self-conscious and opt to get a male breast reduction surgery.

There are various reasons why men experience gynecomastia, the most common known of which is the use of steroids. It can also happen in other medications containing marijuana, alcohol, and estrogen. It can also be caused by a variety of medical conditions such as impaired liver function and cancer. Basically, anything that can upset a man’s hormone balance can cause gynecomastia.

At present, there are basically two ways to undergo male breast reduction surgery. One is through liposuction, while the other is through cutting out excess glandular tissue. Both procedures take an average of two hours and is usually done on an outpatient basis.

Liposuction involves a small incision on each side of the chest, wherein the surgeon removes excess fat and glandular tissue, thereby sculpting a new natural-looking chest contour. Meanwhile, breast reduction via tissue excision is done for severe cases of gynecomastia and involves an incision around the edge of the areola or within the natural creases of the chest. Through this, the surgeon is able to remove a greater amount of glandular tissue and skin that cannot be successfully treated by liposuction alone.

Learn more about gynecomastia and male breast reduction surgery in this article.

Procedure

You are first placed under general anesthesia, although you have a choice on what type of anesthesia is going to be used for your surgery. Though breast reduction is typically done on an outpatient basis, some patients may require an overnight stay.

The surgeon makes an incision using one of the three common surgical techniques—anchor pattern, vertical incision, or liposuction. Fat, tissue, and any excess skin are removed from the lower portion of the breast. The nipple is also repositioned higher up on the breast, which is often required especially if a woman has extremely large breasts. The surgeon then closes the incisions using sutures.

The entire breast reduction surgery takes two hours on average, depending on the extent of the procedure. Some patients opt to combine breast reduction with another surgery like breast lift, hence increasing the surgery time.

Techniques

Below are the three surgical techniques used for breast reduction.

Anchor Pattern Technique

The anchor pattern technique is best for women with extremely large breasts, as well as those with considerable sagging and asymmetry. It is also used for women whose breasts have more glandular tissue than fat, which often the case for women who are thin, with highly dense breast tissue, and have not yet reached menopause.

It involves extensive incisions horizontally under the breast in the crease and then extended vertically up and around the nipple, hence creating an anchor pattern. The large incisions allow for a lot of breast tissue to be removed both vertically and horizontally, hence maximizing the results of breast reduction in Miami. It also removes excess skin, hence creating a smooth appearance of the breasts within a month after surgery.

But though the anchor pattern technique is very effective in reducing the size of the breasts, it also produces the most amount of breast reduction scars. There is also a risk for loss of sensation and loss of breastfeeding ability after breast reduction surgery.

Vertical Incision Technique

Vertical breast reduction is best for women who only need a moderate reduction in breast size and have noticeable breast sagging. It typically results in shapelier breasts and less scarring compared to the anchor pattern technique.

Incisions in the vertical technique extend around the areola and vertically down to the breast crease, creating a lollipop-shaped pattern. This incision pattern allows the cosmetic surgeon to remove excess fat, skin, and breast tissue, reshape the new smaller breasts internally, and lift the breast into a more youthful position.

It results in less breast reduction scars because it is less invasive and less disruptive to glandular breast tissue compared to the anchor pattern technique. There is also less risk of permanently losing the sensation of the nipples and the surrounding skin.

However, breasts may appear lumpy and wrinkled for several months after breast reduction since the excess skin is not removed during the surgery.

Liposuction Technique

Breast reduction in Miami can also be done by liposuction alone. Since liposuction involves the reduction of the amount of fatty tissue in the breasts, women whose breasts have more fatty tissue than glandular tissue are the ideal candidates.

In the liposuction technique, the surgeon makes a small incision under the armpit or in the crease beneath the breast. A surgical tube—known as a cannula—is inserted into the breast through this incision and is used to break up and remove fatty tissues from the breast. This differs from other breast reduction techniques because connective tissues rather than fatty tissues are more affected in those incisions.

The great thing about liposuction is that it leaves little scarring, as only one small and inconspicuously placed incision is needed for each breast. Since it does not remove glandular or connective tissues, there is no risk of losing sensation in the nipple area or breast skin. Milk ducts are also not affected, hence making breastfeeding possible after quick breast reduction recovery.

Results

The results of your breast reduction are immediate. Breasts will appear to be much smaller after surgery and may even appear lifted, even if a breast lift was not performed. You will also experience immediate relief from the physical discomfort and chronic pain that is often felt by women with large, heavy breasts.

The surgical technique that your cosmetic surgeon used also largely determines the outcome of your surgery. In the anchor pattern method, your breasts may appear wide and flat, as experienced by many other patients who have undergone this type of technique. Those who had a vertical incision often had shapely breasts, although it is also common for them to get wrinkles and lumps in the breasts several months after the breast reduction surgery. Meanwhile, those who underwent liposuction of the breasts have the least dramatic results, as this technique typically does not reduce breast volume as much as the other two methods.

As for breast reduction scars, they appear lumpy and red for several months following surgery, but they fade over time. It is easy to hide them in bras and bathing suits.

Although the results of breast reduction in Miami are permanent, it is important to note that your breasts can become larger again due to a number of factors, such as weight gain and pregnancy.

Preparation

Before the surgery itself, you will meet with your chosen cosmetic surgeon to discuss your expectations for the breast reduction surgery. It is during this consultation session that your doctor will decide on a surgical technique, educate you about the upcoming surgery, and provide guidelines for preparing for the surgery.

If you have any questions, this is the chance to ask him. You can also ask to look at breast reduction before and after photos of his previous clients just to give you an idea of what the end results of your surgery may be.

Typically, your surgeon will advise you to avoid aspirin for at least two weeks before surgery, as this may increase your risk of serious bleeding. Some vitamins and herbal supplements may also need to be stopped for this purpose.

You also need to discontinue smoking in advance because nicotine can impede the natural healing process. Some doctors will ask you to do this at least two weeks before your surgery, while others require a month of quitting in advance.

Though breast reduction is an outpatient procedure, you are still required to fast for six to eight hours prior to your surgery because you will be given anesthesia. Avoid using any lotions, creams, or powders on the day of the surgery. Make sure that you dress in loose, comfortable clothing.

It is also important that you arrange for someone to drive you home after your procedure and stay with you for the first night after surgery.

Recovery

Breast reduction recovery usually takes a couple of weeks to a month, depending on different factors. Your doctor will wrap your chest area in sterile dressings, which need to be changed one to two days after surgery. This will eventually be replaced by a surgical bra that you need to wear for several weeks. These should be worn at all times during your breast reduction recovery, except when bathing. Remember to avoid heavy lifting and stretching for up to six weeks after your breast reduction in Miami.

Stitches may be removed at the clinic a few weeks after surgery. You need to make sure that you attend follow-up appointments so that your doctor can monitor your recovery and advise you when normal activities and work can be resumed.

Risks and Side Effects

Breast reduction is a safe surgery, but it is certainly not risk-free. One of the possible risks that you will encounter during this procedure is asymmetrical breasts. This may be uncommon, but once it occurs, it may need to be corrected through a subsequent cosmetic surgery. However, keep in mind that a slight difference in the size and shape of your two breasts is normal and should not prompt additional surgery.

There is also the risk of having uneven nipple height, especially since this surgery involves removing and shifting of some skin. You might also lose some feeling in the breast, especially if the areola has been removed and grafted. The detachment from the breast tissue may cause loss of sensation in the nipples.

For women who want to breastfeed, there is a chance that breastfeeding will no longer be possible after breast reduction. This is especially true for those who undergo the anchor pattern technique, where many of the milk ducts are removed.

As for complications, you may experience bleeding, poor reaction to anesthesia, infection, and hematoma after breast reduction surgery. All of these should be promptly treated by your cosmetic surgeon.

Breast Reduction Cost

The cost of a breast reduction in Miami can range from $3,600 to $8,000. It all depends on various factors, such as the size of your breasts, the duration of the procedure, other combined treatments, and your chosen surgeon.

Because this surgery benefits a woman’s physical health, the breast reduction cost may be covered by insurance. However, it is still important to clarify this with your insurance provider prior to treatment.

Now that you know all about breast reduction, the next thing that you should do is to find a cosmetic surgeon who will do the surgery for you. If you want a board-certified and experienced surgeon for your breast reduction, schedule a consultation with us here at Face + Body Cosmetic Surgery.