Medically reviewed by Dr. Omar Tillo MD, MS, EBOPRAS, FRCS (Plast) There are a vast array of transformative benefits that breast reduction surgery can bring, such as an enhancement of confidence and self-image or relief from medical problems. However, as with any cosmetic surgery there are important considerations to make before deciding to move forward with the process.
This article will detail the medical and aesthetic benefits of breast reduction, offering you a clear, concise explanation of the pros and cons of the surgery so that you have all the information you need to decide whether breast reduction will be the right choice for you.
Pros
Breast reduction surgery has the potential to alleviate the bothersome physical consequences created by overly large breasts, as well as make invaluable aesthetic changes that provide a significant boost to your quality of life.
Improved Confidence
The extra weight of disproportionately large breasts is not only physical but emotional too. Women with large breasts can often suffer unkind comments, unpleasant ogling, and increased self-consciousness in public. A breast reduction to a more proportionate size can give you more confidence in your body shape, allowing you to feel more comfortable in your own skin.
The limitations that having large breasts place on your life can often be set aside following a reduction surgery, opening up new possibilities for clothing, hobbies, and lifestyles, thereby strengthening self-belief and independence.
Chronic Pain
One of the most common symptoms that cause women to seek a breast reduction is the chronic pain associated with heavy or drooping breasts. A reduction procedure is often an extremely effective way to alleviate these pains. Reducing the extra breast tissue works to resolve a variety of issues, such as poor posture, chronic headaches, and spinal pain.
With the help of an experienced surgeon who specialises in breast reductions, you can form a surgery plan that works to relieve these pains as much as possible while also giving equally careful thought to aesthetic considerations.
Proportionate Breast Size
Breast reduction surgery can achieve a breast size that is more proportionate to the rest of your body, often greatly reducing the forces that create the distressing chronic pains associated with large breasts.
Not only is it often possible to treat the medical consequences of heavy breasts, but a reduction can also help reshape your breasts so as to bring greater symmetry to your upper body. Improved symmetry can bring a more aesthetically pleasing look – clothes will fit more evenly, providing balance to your appearance.
Patients are encouraged to lose weight before surgery to ensure postoperative breast size meets expectations more closely. Losing weight after the surgery may alter the body’s proportions in a way that leads to unsatisfactory results.
Improved Exercise
Heavy, disproportionately sized breasts can impede free exercise, sometimes by causing embarrassment; other times they simply impose a physical barrier that makes certain activities too difficult.
Removing the excess weight from your breasts can help you to feel more comfortable running and jumping, giving you the freedom to participate in new, more challenging activities without needing to consider the detrimental effects on your breasts.
Reduced Skin Irritation
Having very large breasts or breast hypertrophy is frequently a cause of often embarrassing or irritating skin conditions. Intertrigo is one common condition that develops in skin folds, causing sore, itchy, reddened patches in places where skin touches skin.
Generally, this is between and underneath the breasts. Also, chafing from bra straps and underwires can cause painful rashes. Removing unwanted excess breast tissue through surgery reduces the likelihood of friction, therefore lessening the incidence of skin irritation.
Cons
Any surgical procedure comes with its advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to be as informed as possible before pushing forward with it. Once you are aware of the possible downsides to a breast reduction, it is crucial to look for an understanding surgeon who will pay close attention to these concerns when creating your personalised surgical plan.
Scarring
Scarring is an inevitable consequence of any surgical procedure. The size and visibility of breast reduction scars vary greatly depending on the techniques used and how well you care for the scars post-operation. With the right care, breast reduction scars should fade over time into faint, white lines.
Breastfeeding
Women can breastfeed after breast reduction surgery, although there is a possibility it can impact the amount of milk produced. For patients planning to have children after the surgery, it is important to discuss this possibility with your surgeon during the planning stages.
Recovery
One of the post-operative side-effects of breast reduction surgery is redness and swelling, which should subside in approximately 2–3 weeks. For up to 6 weeks, you may be asked to avoid physically taxing activities and heavy lifting, but after this initial period, you can return to your daily routine. It may take up to 3 months for all of the swelling to dissipate completely, after which the final results will become visible.
Is Breast Reduction Worth It?
Breast reduction surgery can significantly reduce the issues associated with heavy, disproportionately large breasts. As such, it is one of the elective surgeries with the highest reports of satisfaction.
Choosing a breast reduction can be liberating, alleviating chronic neck, shoulder, and back pains, opening the door to an active lifestyle, and a renewed sense of well-being.
Schedule a Consultation with CREO Clinic Today
If you are interested in breast reduction surgery, book today with Dr. Omar Tillo, the CREO Clinic’s double-board certified surgeon and breast reduction specialist.
Dr. Tillo will work in collaboration with you to create a personalised treatment plan designed to meet your needs, using his extensive experience to help deliver the natural-looking results you desire.