BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY

Breast reduction surgery is performed to decrease the size of very large breasts. It is the most straightforward of the three types of operation and it is performed both for physical and psychological reasons. The weight of large breasts causes strain on the neck, upper back and shoulders and women often develop poor posture as a result of which can cause problems, particularly in later life. The skin between and beneath the breasts tends to get chafed, sweaty and sore and infection can easily occur. If the breasts are excessively large, feeding a baby is difficult, if not impossible, and many women give up as a result.

  The psychological problems caused by large breasts can be immense and, inevitably, the woman finds herself receiving often unwelcome comments and attention from members of the opposite sex. All too often, assumptions are made by men about a female who is well-endowed and there is an unwillingness to acknowledge that there is a person with thoughts and feelings behind the breasts. While some women may not mind about the attention they receive, for others, especially sensitive and self-conscious teenage girls, the situation can soon become intolerable. Typically, the young girl or woman habitually rounds her shoulders to try and hide her breasts or let loose, baggy tops in an effort to conceal them. In the worst cases, she may be unwilling to attend school, go out with her friends or live a normal life. Hence, although breast enlargement would not be considered appropriate for an unhappy teenager, reduction surgery for someone who is miserable would certainly be looked at sympathetically.

 The waiting lists for, and availability of such operations on the National Health Service are, however, a source of problems. Breast reduction involves removing fat and other tissue to produce breast of a smaller size but similar shape to the original. The nipple and aureola have to be moved to be moved to a new position and this is the most successful if each can be left attached to a stalk of breast tissue. If this is possible, then some nervous and blood supplies remain intact and there is a better chance of preserving sensitivity and the ability to breastfeed.

 However, in some cases, the aureola and nipple have to be cut off completely and then stitched into the new position as a graft. In this case, feeling and function are inevitably removed at least initially, and in fact, since the surgery may well result in cutting through milk ducts, most surgeons prefer women who may wish to breastfeed to wait until they have completed their family. Surgery inevitably produces scarring but the nature of this varies between individuals. Other possible complications include the development of residual, small, fatty lumps which usually disappear overtime and the formation of an ABSCESS  or ulcer in the vicinity of the wound.