Breast Reduction Surgery: Procedure, Benefits, Recovery, & Risks

By Author: Dr Ashish Khare
Total Articles: 7
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Breast reduction surgery, commonly called mammoplasty, is often done to reduce the overall size of the breast in females. It is one of the common cosmetic procedures which is now preferred by most women. Breast reduction can reduce the size of your breast making them lighter and in better shape. 
If you are worried about the size of your breast or you are feeling distressed, or if it is causing you issues like backache, then you might consider going for a breast reduction operation. However, because it is a surgical procedure, you should know everything about it, especially the risks, so that you can make an informed decision. 
You will find a variety of clinics offering breast reduction surgery in Delhi. Read this article to learn about the procedure, risks, and benefits of breast reduction surgery. 
What is breast reduction surgery?
Breast reduction surgery is an operation done to remove the extra tissue, fat, and skin from the breast. Having a large breast that is out of proportion then it might cause issues such as back pain, ...
... neck pain, or many other issues. Thus, in such cases, breast reduction is the only option. Apart from women, men suffering from gynecomastia also undergo breast reduction surgery.
The procedure of breast reduction surgery
Before the surgery, the doctor may ask the patient to stop consuming anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, as they can cause bleeding. Moreover, the patients are also asked to quit smoking several weeks before the operation, as smoking can increase the risk of tissue necrosis, areolar damage, and other complications. Thus it is important to let the doctor know if you use tobacco or other products. 
The operation is performed by a plastic surgeon. He uses a marker to draw the guideline for the incision. The position of the nipples, the size of the breast, and the person’s requirements will determine the exact incision pattern. Anchor pattern and the wise pattern is the most common technique of skin removal for breast reduction surgery.
The surgeon first makes an incision around the areola, and then they go beneath the breast at the point from where they have to remove the excess skin from the sides of the breast. After the incision, the breast tissue is removed, the remaining tissue is reshaped, and the reposition of the areola and nipple is done. The remaining skin is closed using sutures and surgical tape.
If the size of the breast is very large, then it becomes important for nipples removal and areolas from the body. They are then placed back on the breast. This procedure is called a free nipple graft. Further, the nipple will regrow into the new position, but they become permanently numb. The surgeon uses a gauze bandage to wrap the breast. Sometimes small tubes are inserted into the breast to remove excess fluid and reduce the swelling.  
Recovery 
People are allowed to go home after a few hours of the surgery unless there are any complications. However, before leaving the hospital, they are given specific post-operative instructions that involve topical and oral medications, which help in reducing pain and scarring and preventing infections. 
People are advised to take a lot of rest until their breasts heal. A movement that involves stretching of chest muscles or tearing the sutures should be avoided. After the surgery, people may have difficulty lifting their arms during the first few weeks, so they should avoid lifting heavy objects until the surgeon removes their sutures. Overall it takes around 2 to 6 weeks to recover fully from the breast reduction surgery. 
Benefits of breast reduction surgery
Breast reduction surgery has several advantages if done effectively. It relieves the patient from chronic back, shoulder, and neck pain. Here are the other advantages of breast reduction surgery:

Reduces shoulder, neck, and back pain
Improves health
Active participation in physical sports
Better posture
Better sleep
Reduces the pull caused by bra straps
Relief from skin irritation under the breast
Enhances self-confidence.

Risks involved 
Although breast reduction surgery has several benefits yet people experience some minor complications after the surgery, which include:

Loss of sensation in the breast
Prominent or thickened scars
The asymmetric appearance of the breast 
Excess fluid in the breast tissue
Allergic reaction to medications, anesthesia, glues, suture material, topical preparations, blood products, etc.
Cellulite or infection of the connective tissue
Open wounds or slow healing of the incisions.
Bleeding or blood clot
Damage to internal structures like muscles, nerves, blood vessels, and lungs 
Excessive tightness of the breast
Swelling, skin discoloration, permanent pigmentation changes, and bruising
Fatty tissue within the skin might die
Deep vein thrombosis, cardiac and pulmonary complications
Possibility of revisional surgery
Potential breast skin or tissue loss in the place of incisions 
Potential inability to breastfeed.

Smoking, alcohol, and other harmful drugs can increase the chances of complications. The chances of risks are reduced if you get the surgery done by expert surgeons. You will find variousbest breast reduction surgeon in Delhi if you’re looking to get the surgery done in Delhi.
Wrap up-
The bottom line is that breast reduction surgery is a relatively safe and effective method of reducing the size of the breast. The surgeon removes the breast tissue, extra fat, and skin through the incision underneath the breast. This may also reposition the areola and nipple. Overall this surgery is safe with minimal risks but rarely do some patients experience complications such as scarring, loss of sensation in the breasts or nipples, and infection. 
If you are looking to get breast reduction surgery done, then you should first book an appointment with a certified plastic surgeon to learn about your health conditions and whether you are eligible for it or not. You can reach out to Kalosa Aesthetics for the best consultation and surgery in Delhi. Also, make sure to learn about the breast reduction cost in Delhi before going for the surgery.
Disclaimer: All the text, videos, techniques, and images available on this website are for awareness purposes only. It must not be considered as a substitute for medical advice. Results may vary from person to person, depending on the medical needs.

The clinic was established by Dr. Deepti Asthana and Dr. Ashish Khare in 2017 with the vision to make people beautiful from inside out.