Although it is very common to find women who want to have fuller breasts, and have some of the different medical procedures performed to achieve what they want, there are also cases in which they want and even need to decrease the size of their breasts, for different reasons.
In these cases, people require a surgery called reduction mammoplasty or breast reduction, in this article we will give you relevant information about this medical procedure, required and requested by many women.
What is breast reduction?
Breast reduction is a medical surgical procedure in which excess breast tissue, fat and skin is removed from the breasts, giving an abnormal appearance to the breasts, which, in addition to not looking good aesthetically, can cause discomfort, even generating health problems due to the weight that the back must support.
What does breast reduction consist of?
Breast reduction consists of a surgery in which 3 incisions will be made through the areolas of the breasts, through which the excess skin, fat and breast tissue necessary to achieve the result desired by the patient will be removed.
In addition, a breast lift can be performed, if necessary, to give the breasts a normal shape. Occasionally, when the amount of tissue to be removed is too much, the areolas can be removed with the nipples to relocate them.
In this case, general anesthesia is used and the entire surgery lasts from 2 to 5 hours approximately, depending on the amount of tissue to be removed according to the patient’s needs and desires.
Why perform a breast reduction?
The reasons for performing this procedure may be several, among these are:
- When there is an excessive size of the breasts, it is likely that there is also a fall of the same, which, in addition to causing discomfort, looks very bad aesthetically, and can affect the self-esteem of women.
- If you suffered from obesity and lost a lot of weight, probably the fatty tissue accumulated in the breasts is still there, requiring a breast reduction surgery to solve this.
- The weight of very large breasts can cause discomfort, and can even be harmful to health, affecting the back, which can cause serious problems in the spine.
What are the risks and complications of breast reduction?
Like any surgery, breast reduction has its risks and may have some complications, among which can be found:
- Adverse reaction to anesthesia or medications.
- Infection during surgery or during recovery.
- Damage to tissues and nerves.
- Intense pain.
- Hematomas.
- Loss of sensitivity or hypersensitivity in the breasts.
- Poor healing.
Breast reduction surgery recovery process
Once the surgery is performed, you will begin the recovery process, which can be quite long compared to other cosmetic surgeries. You will probably spend the first 24 hours after surgery hospitalized and you will be left with bandages, dressings and probes that will be removed in a few days.
During the first 6 days it is best to avoid doing any activity and stay in absolute rest.
On day 7 you should have a progress evaluation and wound healing, and from this point on, the bandages are removed and you will have to wear a special bra. You will probably not feel much pain at this point, although it may continue for the second week.
During the first 4 weeks you should avoid doing any physical activity, and you should also go regularly to the doctor to evaluate the evolution of the wounds and make wound dressings. During this period you should not have stitches. After one month, you will be able to see the results.
After 5 weeks you will be able to progressively start your normal life, trying not to make sudden or very big efforts at the beginning. You can exercise with a progressive increase in the intensity of the exercises.
A new medical check-up is recommended at 6 months and then another one a year after the operation, at this time the recovery should be complete and the surgery should not present any complications.
Always verify that your surgeon is endorsed by the Colombian Society of Plastic Surgery. You can see my profile as an endorsed plastic surgeon in this link: https://cirugiaplastica.org.co/author/ladron-de-guevara-cervera-johnatan-roy
If you want more information about breast reduction, before and after photos, recovery time and all the complete information you can click here.
