What is Breast Reduction Surgery?

The body is shaped under the influence of genetic infrastructure and environmental factors that are exposed to from the period of growth and development. Under the influence of genetic and environmental factors, some health problems may arise, as well as the development of body tissues in a way that negatively affects the quality of daily life. In this sense, the development of large and dense breast tissue is one of the most common disorders encountered in women. One of the most frequently used treatment methods to solve this problem is breast reduction surgery.

What is Breast Reduction Surgery?

Breast reduction surgery, breast reduction surgery or reduction mammoplasty is the surgical removal of excess fat tissue, glandular tissue and skin tissue in the breast. Breast reduction surgery can be performed for cosmetic purposes in women with large and dense breast tissue, as well as for the treatment of some health problems that occur secondary to large breast tissue.

Why is Breast Reduction Surgery Performed?

Breast tissue does not have a vital role in itself for the healthy survival of the body. However, having breast tissue with a volume greater than normal limits carries the risk of causing various health problems, especially musculoskeletal problems. However, in order to ensure holistic mental, spiritual and social health in individuals, breast tissue may need to be rearranged in accordance with the needs. Under these circumstances, it is possible to reduce the breast tissue to a reasonable extent.

Breast reduction surgery may be considered in the following cases:

• Negative psychological or social impact on the quality of life due to an individual’s disturbing appearance,
• Presence of chronic low back, back, shoulder or neck pain,
• Widespread inflammation, redness or rash on the skin under the breast tissue,
• Damage or loss of function of nerves in the chest area due to large breast size,
• Limitation in physical activity.

How is Breast Reduction Surgery Performed?

Breast reduction surgery is a surgical procedure performed under general or local anesthesia. During the operation, fat, connective, secretory tissues and some of the skin tissue of the breast are removed from the body by surgical methods. In this operation, excess fat tissue can also be removed specifically with methods such as liposuction. The removal of the tissues is usually performed under certain incisions made in the skin.

The skin incisions are made just below the breast tissue, so that it is not easily visible and allows for cosmetic and aesthetic healing in order to avoid very obvious scars in the future. In addition, it may be necessary to make incisions around the nipple to give the breast tissue the appropriate shape and size and to preserve the existing nipple tissue. After the removal of the identified breast tissues, the incisions are closed appropriately and the breast is given its final shape. In some cases, since the anatomical placement of the nipple may look aesthetically bad in the final size of the breast, the nipple tissue can be moved to higher parts of the breast with the help of additional surgical procedures.

After the surgery, it is aimed to give size and shape to both breasts in a symmetrical manner. However, due to the different healing process of the surgical incision areas, there is a risk of asymmetrical appearance after surgery. This may require additional surgical interventions. There may be some shrinkage in the nipple tissue after surgery. Although the surgical incision sites made during the operation shrink, they do not disappear completely and heal by leaving some scars.

What are the Risks of Breast Reduction Surgery?

Breast reduction surgery is a minor interventional procedure performed under general or local anesthesia. In this sense, there are some risks in terms of the development of various complications during and after surgery. These risks can be summarized as follows:

• Bleeding or bruising at the surgical site,
• Healing of the procedure site leaving a scar,
• Loss of sensation, tingling, numbness in the breast skin or nipple skin due to damage to the nerve tissues during surgery,
• Difficulty breastfeeding or loss of breastfeeding function,
• A difference in size or shape between the two breasts, an asymmetrical appearance, the need for additional surgical intervention,
• Development of infection at the surgical site,
• Allergic reactions to anesthesia, cardiovascular or respiratory complications,
• In people with chronic diseases, the emergence of symptoms or discomfort related to the underlying disease in the postoperative period.

How Should I Prepare Before Surgery?

As with other surgical procedures performed for health reasons, breast reduction surgery brings with it a special preparation process. Paying attention to the stages in the preparation process increases the success of the surgery and is very important to prevent possible complications that may develop during and after surgery.

Accordingly, the following preparation stages should be considered before breast reduction surgery:

• Taking a detailed medical history of the patient and evaluating the surgical site and general body health by performing a detailed physical examination,
• Determining the patient’s expectations regarding breast size and shape,
• Informing the patient about the procedure and giving detailed information about the complications that may develop during and after surgery,
• Photographing, comparing and measuring the size of breast tissues before surgery, drawing the operation line and making the operation plan,
• Deciding on the type of anesthesia to be administered,
• Planning blood and imaging tests to evaluate the general health status of the patient and taking preoperative measures according to the results,
• Discontinuation of blood thinners used by the patient for various health problems for a certain period of time before surgery or replacement with alternative drug therapies.

In addition to these;

• Medical treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs, thyroid medications may need to be adjusted in the preoperative period.
• Baseline mammography measurement may be required before the procedure, especially for the detailed evaluation of health problems such as breast cancer.

Who Can Have Breast Reduction Surgery?

In breast reduction surgery, the need for surgery should be determined very well. In addition to the patient’s wishes and expectations, the physician’s assessment of the patient is also decisive in the decision of surgery. Especially in the presence of the conditions summarized below, the decision on surgery may not be made immediately and may need to be postponed:

Obesity

In obesity patients whose body weight is much higher than normal, there is an increase in the amount of fat in the breast tissue as well as in the whole body. In these patients, lifestyle changes are recommended for the patient to lose weight before breast reduction surgery. It is important that patients who plan to lose weight are re-evaluated in terms of breast size after weight loss. Breast reduction surgery may not produce satisfactory results in patients whose dietary habits are regulated and who start a regular exercise program.

Puberty

There is no specific age criterion for breast reduction surgery. However, during puberty, when breast development continues, it is not correct to decide on surgery in the early period, as the breast tissue has not yet reached full maturity. In order to prevent situations such as continued growth of breast tissue after surgery or poor cosmetic development secondary to the surgical procedure, it is appropriate to re-evaluate the patients at an age when puberty is considered to be completed and make a surgical decision.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy, breast tissue actively grows and develops due to the effect of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone, which increase in the blood. For this reason, breast reduction surgery in patients who are pregnant or planning pregnancy may not give the desired result. However, the absence of some glands removed from the body during breast reduction surgery may adversely affect milk production in the breast. For this reason, it is recommended to determine whether the patient has a pregnancy plan in the future before the surgery is decided.

Chronic Diseases

In the presence of certain chronic diseases such as heart failure, diabetes and kidney disease, the risk of developing certain complications after breast reduction surgery increases. Due to such diseases, patients may suffer life-threatening situations during surgery. For this reason, patients should be examined in detail in terms of additional health problems before the surgical decision and, if necessary, treatment of existing diseases should be applied.

Smoking and Alcohol

Smoking and alcohol use is another criterion that should be evaluated before the decision to perform surgery because it causes tissue damage and increases the risk of postoperative complications.