Thursday, October 21, 2010

What Patients Should Know About Breast Reduction

In an era when many women want a prominent bust and resort to breast implants, a special category faces serious health problems caused breasts that are too large, including medical conditions such as back pain, muscle pain, spinal deformity by incorrect posture, skin problems caused by sweating, inability to sleep on the stomach or a deteriorated appearance after a certain age. In some situations, such breasts are a source of extra weight, which can cause confusion and changes in the speed of reaction of individuals. Surgery should be performed in order to increase the quality of the everyday life, while the options of breast reduction should be decided by following the advice of the surgeon.


Breast reduction surgery can be achieved surgically by this miraculous intervention. The first breast reduction surgery has been described in the seventh century, and today it is one of the most common plastic surgery techniques.

Breast size and weight can be reduced through a variety of surgical procedures that differ mainly in two aspects: the location of the incisions and the final results in terms of scarring. Breast reduction aims at improving the proportions, position and appearance of the breasts, helping the local harmony of the body. In addition, reduction of excess breast tissue contributes to improving the quality of life. This can also lead to the disappearance of symptoms caused by large breasts, such as spine, chest and shoulder pain. As with any plastic surgery, it is very important to know the changes desired by the patient and its expectations should be consistent.

Breast reduction surgery is a strictly individual intervention and therefore it is not practicable to copy the image of some other person.

Plastic surgeons should be taking into account the patient's desires and expectations in order to determine the most appropriate procedure for breast reduction. Often, this surgery is associated with some extra medical indications, in cases when spine, shoulders and chest pain are encountered. Breast reduction is typically performed under general anesthesia. The operation lasts for about 3-4 hours, but may be extended depending on the complexity of the changes that are required. There are many surgical procedures for breast reduction, differentiated by the size and location of the incisions, which are different depending on the method of excision of excess breast tissue.

The most common incisions are in the shape of a "keyhole" through which the breast tissue can be accessed by the surgeon. The scar left is like an "anchor" or an "inverted T" and consists of a periareolar path containing a median vertical scar and a scar that is perpendicular to the light curve. In recent years several methods have emerged, whose aim is to limit postoperative scarring. These techniques are called mammoplasty of vertical reduction, leaving only a vertical scar in the shape of a line, associated with the periareolar area of the breasts. The advantage of these methods is given by the absence of an incision in the mammary groove. Breast reduction surgery is different in every patient, depending on the segment of glandular tissue. This segment will contain glandular blood vessels, which will ensure the blood supply to the gland and areola. There are a variety of techniques that rely on a single pedicle (superior, inferior, medial, lateral or central).  Finally, make sure you always follow the advice given by the surgeon in order to avoid complications.