Reduction mammoplasty: indications, preparation and course of operation



Big breasts can be both a source of pride and a cause for a woman’s suffering.

If the insufficient size of the mammary gland gives aesthetic discomfort to beautiful ladies, then a sixth or seventh size breast brings them physical discomfort.

Reduction mammoplasty - plastic surgery aimed at reducing the mammary glands will help to cope with the latter problem.



Causes and types of breast hypertrophy

Violation of the hormonal background of a woman leads to the development of giant masturbation, which is why the breast most often increases in size during pregnancy, a rapid and strong increase in weight, or the presence of endocrine disorders.

Since the breast is modified in all different ways, the pathology is usually classified according to different parameters:

• structural changes - an increase in fat or glandular tissue;
• localization of the pathology - one breast or both glands;
• origin - pregnancy, obesity, etc .;
• the degree of ptosis - the omission of the gland in relation to the submammary fold;
• severity - overweight (from 200 g. to 1200 g. and above).

Depending on the type of hypertrophy of the gland, reduction mammoplasty differs in some indicators - the technique of cuts, the scale of the operation, the time of execution and other parameters. If the operation is performed purely for aesthetic reasons (there is no significant ptosis and the overweight of the gland is small), then mastopexy or a circular lift can be dispensed with, which removes excess skin, and the beautiful form and elasticity of the breast returns.



Indications for

Breast hypertrophy often leads to a deterioration in the psychological state of women, problems in the intimate sphere and the development of various ailments. Big breasts prevent women from actively spending time, playing sports, and the choice of clothes and underwear becomes a real problem. Therefore, the main indication for the operation is to improve the quality of life of a woman.

Unlike bust enlargement operations, reduction mammoplasty is often performed for medical reasons, in particular:

• skin problems (scars from the strapless bra, diaper rash, difficult treatment, stretch marks);
• spinal diseases (spinal curvature, vertebral dislocation, hernia and other problems in rib-vertebral joints);
• mastopathy and mastitis of the chronic course;
• breast asymmetry.

Preoperative preparation

In order for the operation to be successful, it is necessary to find out the cause of an excessive increase in the mammary glands.

If there are concomitant pathologies, for example, disorders in the endocrine system, reduction mammoplasty will not bring the desired effect, that is, after surgery, the glandular tissue will grow again.

An experienced plastic surgeon will not do the surgery until the provoking factor has been eliminated.

It is also important to exclude contraindications, so the woman will have to undergo a series of laboratory tests, as well as visit the mammologist. A blood test is done to exclude hepatitis, acute inflammatory processes, HIV infection, syphilis, hepatitis, and to determine some important indicators, such as the Rh factor.

In addition to laboratory tests, lung radiography, mammography, breast ultrasound, and, if necessary, other instrumental diagnostics are performed.

Surgery on the chest is planned in advance and is carried out on the appointed day. Two weeks before the reduction mammoplasty, a woman should not drink alcohol, smoke, take anticoagulants and contraceptives.

A plastic surgeon also conducts preliminary preparations for the surgical correction of the breast. He models the appearance of a new bust, determines the technique of reducing mammoplasty, the extent of surgery, and which medicines the patient may need.

Course of operation

The operation is performed under general anesthesia. On the day of the procedure, a woman should not eat, you can only drink a small amount of clean water. The duration of the procedure varies from two to four hours.

Reduction mammoplasty is performed in stages:

• the doctor makes markup of future incisions;
• cuts tissue and cuts off excess skin;
• removes excess adipose and glandular tissues;
• moves the nipple to a higher position on the breast;
• stitches.

In plastic surgery, there are two main techniques of reduction mammoplasty - vertical seam and T-shaped seam. The first option is done if the excess gland tissue does not exceed five hundred grams. The technique is distinguished by its speed, short stitch and relatively easy recovery period. The classic method of reduction is carried out if you need to remove more than a kilogram of tissue. Cuts are made not only from the nipple to the submammary fold, as in the first embodiment, but also in the fold itself.

During surgery, the surgeon tries to achieve the best result - to create an aesthetically beautiful and symmetrical bust, to preserve the possibility of lactation, sensitivity of the nipples and skin of the breast, to make the operation so that the stitches are short and less noticeable. It will look like a chest after surgery can be viewed in the photo.

Reduction mammoplasty: rehabilitation, complications and patient feedback

Full recovery after surgery to last for at least three months, during which the woman is required to follow certain rules.

Immediately after breast reduction, the patient is observed in the hospital for several days. On the first day, she was recommended bed rest. A woman feels a lot of pain, so she is prescribed analgesics, and antibiotics are used to protect against pathogens.

After returning home, the woman is on sick leave for two, three weeks. The stitches are removed in the second week after reduction, and full scarring of the tissues occurs in six months.

The rules that must be followed during the rehabilitation period:

• wear compression underwear for three months;
• sleep on your back until the stitches heal;
• you can take a bath or shower after removing the stitches (after 10-14 days);
• do not overheat (abandon the bath, being under the scorching rays of the sun);
• do not sunbathe for six months;
• avoid physical exertion (sports, work in the garden, etc.);
• eat right (you can not lose weight or get better).

Breast reduction is a complete surgical intervention, and therefore carries health risks. When choosing a breast surgery as a way to cope with psychological and physical discomfort, a woman should be ready for a painful period of rehabilitation after reduction mammoplasty. How heavy it will be depends on the amount of surgery and the presence of complications. It is very important to take into account all the contraindications to surgical correction of the breast, which can cause the development of various postoperative pathologies.

Contraindications to breast reduction

The operation is not done to women under the age of eighteen, during periods of pregnancy, menstruation, and breastfeeding.

If a woman plans to have a baby, then experts recommend having an operation after this event, as a decrease in the mammary glands can disrupt the formation of milk in the breast.

The operation is not done if the woman suffers from the following pathologies:

• oncology;
• hormone-dependent gigantomastia;
• bleeding disorders;
• infectious diseases;
• chronic illnesses in the acute phase;
• severe pathologies of the heart, lungs;
• vascular pathologies;
• high blood pressure;
• diabetes;
• obesity.

If all contraindications are excluded, then the doctor without unnecessary fears will proceed to such a serious operation as a reduction mammoplasty, and the patient’s rehabilitation in this case will go as planned, without unpleasant surprises in the form of serious complications.

Possible complications

Complications that occur after reduction, are divided into early and late. The first include edema, hematoma, discrepancy of postoperative sutures, infection of wounds. Among the latter, severe scarring of tissues, deformation and disruption of nipple sensitivity, breast asymmetry, the re-development of gigantomastia, and ptosis of the mammary glands are dangerous. Each complication requires finding out the causes and prescribing the appropriate treatment.

Cost of operation

The price of the reducing plastic varies between 70,000 and 300,000 rubles. It depends on the volume of the operation, the availability of additional services, the professional skills of the surgeon and a number of other factors.

Women reviews

Women who have undergone breast reduction surgery leave mostly positive reviews. Reduction mammoplasty, rehabilitation after surgery brings pain to a woman, but the painful period cannot be compared with the weight that she literally bore on her shoulders for a long time.

In forums on the Internet, women willingly share the results of plastic surgery, telling both about the procedure itself and about the recovery period. There are also negative reviews, which are often associated with the aesthetic side of the issue. Some women complain that their breasts have become asymmetrical or that postoperative scars are too noticeable.