Breast reduction, also known as reduction mammaplasty, is a surgical procedure in which the excess fat, tissue, and skin are removed from the breasts. The candidates for this surgery are generally women with extremely sagged or large breasts. This surgery can be preferred in order to have more proportional, smaller, or uplifted breasts. Breast reduction also may help a woman with participating in different physical activities. Breast reduction is widely performed in Turkey and is a popular surgical operation.

Why It’s Done

The reasons to have a breast reduction surgery can be listed as:

  • Restricted physical activity. Large breasts mean more weight and this can hinder a woman from doing some physical activities.
  • Having difficulties finding fitting bras and clothing. Women with large breasts sometimes can have difficulties while shopping for clothes because of the size of their breasts, because most of the clothes are designed more proportional.
  •  Chronic rash or skin discomfort under the breasts. Large and sagged breasts might cause the skin under the breasts to be irritated. This situation also may cause a woman to sweat more.
  • Constant shoulder, neck, or back pain. Having large breasts means also having heavy breasts and due to inequality in weight distribution in the body, a woman with large breasts may suffer chronic shoulder, neck, or back pain.
  • Nerve pain. Doing exercises or actually participating in any physical activity may cause nerve pain because of the stretching of the muscles due to the heaviness of breasts.

The Link Between Breast Reduction and Childbirth or Weight Loss

Breast reduction has the risk of requiring a second surgery when the correct choice is not made. And this situation (although it doesn’t occur very frequently in general) mostly occurs because of making the wrong choice about childbirth and weight loss.

  • You should have breast reduction surgery a while after the birth. If you have a plan to have a child, you should schedule your breast reduction surgery at least six months after the birth. Breast reduction surgery during pregnancy or up to six months before pregnancy is considered dangerous and is not recommended. 
  • You should have breast reduction surgery after weight loss. Overweight or obese people are not recommended to have breast reduction surgery unless they lose weight and reach a fixed weight. Also, they should make sure that they will not gain excess weight after the surgery. Excess weight gain after the surgery may cause a number of problems along with tearing of the stitches.

The Prices of Breast Reduction Surgery

Although the prices may vary due to various factors, a standard breast reduction surgery costs about £3200.

How to Prepare for Breast Reduction Surgery

First of all, if you smoke, you will have to quit smoking for a while before and after the surgery. You should not take aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements. This helps to control the bleeding easier during the surgery. Your surgeon will follow a number of steps before the surgery. These steps are:

  • Evaluating your medical history and overall health,
  • Explaining to you the possible outcomes of the surgery, and showing you an example to give an idea about how your breasts will look like after the surgery.
  • Explaining to you the procedure, risks, and benefits of the surgery, in detail.
  • Examining and measuring your breasts.

You may also be asked to get a baseline mammogram and complete several lab tests before the surgery.

The Surgical Process

Breast reduction can be considered a four-stepped surgical operation. These steps are:

  • Anesthesia and incisions. A breast reduction surgery is generally performed under general anesthesia. The first step is the application of anesthesia, and then opening incisions, generally under the breasts where junction points are located.
  • Reduction of excess breast fat, tissue, and skin. First, the excess fat in the breasts is removed via liposuction. Then the excess tissue is removed. Lastly, the skin is trimmed to fit into the new shape of the breasts. 
  • Reshaping breasts and repositioning the nipples and areolas. The shape of the breasts is being adjusted and the nipples are repositioned in this step. While sometimes there may be a need of removing nipples and then replacing them via grafting, the surgeon may also sometimes prefer not to apply this procedure, if the nipples are in the right position.
  • Closing of the incisions and covering the incisions with gauze or bandages. After the first three steps, incisions are closed via stitches or laser pasting. And pieces of gauze dressing or bandage are attached to incisions in order to protect incisions from infections. 

After The Surgery

  • Immediately after the surgery, you will be given medications such as painkillers and antibiotics to avoid infections. A pair of tubes might be attached under your arms in order to drain the excess fluid or blood.
  • For the first week after the surgery, your breasts will probably be bruised and swollen. You may have to wear a surgical bra in order to protect your breasts from any possible damage. Also, you may feel tenderness and extra sensitiveness in your breasts.
  • After a week, you will be able to return to your daily life at home, but you may need to wait for another week to return to your desk job. If your job requires physical participation, you may need to wait for six weeks after the surgery. You also will not be able to wear normal underwear bras for a few months. Your surgeon may suggest sports bras or after-surgery bras at this time interval. You will be able to participate in physical activities and exercises six weeks after the surgery.

Why You Should Have Your Breast Reduction Surgery in Turkey?

First of all, Turkey is the center of the plastic surgery sector both in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Turkey has the most developed and secured sector in the area and the quality of services is extremely high. Also, the competition among clinics and hospitals makes the prices more reasonable and the services more quality. Turkey actually promises top-quality services with the best prices.

Risks of Breast Reduction

Breast reduction is considered major surgery, and the risks of this surgery are nearly the same as other major surgical operations. Some of these risks are:

  • An adverse reaction to the anesthesia. Although some tests can be run before the surgery in order to understand whether your body reacts to anesthesia or not, sometimes even if the tests say that there is no problem for you to go under general anesthesia, your body may react to anesthesia after the surgery. The most common reactions are nausea, vomiting, and constant dizziness.
  • Bleeding and infection. It is almost impossible to have no bleeding after the surgery. A pair of tubes may be placed under your arms for a few days after the surgery to drain the excess blood and fluid. The infection can be prevented by being careful about what you eat and protecting the incisions from any external contact. 
  • Bruising and swollening. You may experience swollening in your breasts along with bruises. This situation is generally temporary and may take up to two weeks to completely disappear. 
  • Loss of sensation in and around the nipples. This situation can be both temporary and permanent. But the possibility for this situation to be permanent is as low as fifteen per cent. 
  • Scarring. Scars around the incisions can be seen. This situation may also be either temporary or permanent.
  • Difficulty in breastfeeding. You may have to use different alternatives due to the inability in breastfeeding, causing extra sensitiveness in the nipples.

Frequently Asked Questions about Breast Reduction

  • How long does it take to completely recover from the operation?

Although it mostly depends on various factors, it usually takes six to eight weeks for a total recovery.

  • Can teenagers have breast reduction surgery?

With it being not recommended widely, teenagers also can have breast reduction surgery. But if the breasts have not completed their development, the patient may need another surgery in the future.

  • Is breast reduction permanent?

Yes, outcomes of the breast reduction surgery are usually permanent.