Breast Reduction Surgery

Who Can Have Breast Reduction Surgery?

Breasts are not organs that are the same size or volume in all women. In some women, they are larger than in others, which can lead to certain health problems or cosmetic issues. This can also be accompanied by social problems such as difficulty finding clothes. Therefore, breast reduction surgery can be performed on any woman who is dissatisfied with the size of her breasts, believes they are too large, whether or not she experiences these problems.

At What Age Can Breast Reduction Surgery Be Performed?

Since breasts are organs that can change with weight fluctuations or developmental processes, it is important that body development is complete. In other words, the lower limit can be considered 18 years of age. Although it varies from person to person, the procedure can be performed on patients under 18 with parental consent, especially in young people with health issues. Of course, the examination and evaluation by the physician are important at this point.

What Is the Breast Reduction Surgery Process Like?

Although people may have some questions about this, breast augmentation and reduction surgeries are not more difficult or complex than each other. However, in breast reduction surgery, since more tissue is removed compared to augmentation, the incision may be larger. Therefore, the healing time may also be longer compared to breast augmentation. Nevertheless, there is no significant difference between breast reduction and augmentation surgery in terms of patients' recovery time and return to daily life.

In breast augmentation surgery, an implant is involved, and the body needs to adapt to it. While many parameters come into play in breast augmentation, such as the muscle tissue under the breast and the implant, a few minor restrictions may be sufficient for the healing of the sutures in breast reduction surgery. Of course, it should be remembered that this is evaluated on an individual basis.
There are a few techniques used in breast reduction surgery. The choice of technique is made during the examination, together with the patient. The techniques are often similar, and the most important aspect is not how much tissue is removed, but what is left behind.

Will There Be Scars After Breast Reduction Surgery?

Breast reduction surgery is a procedure that leaves scars, but patients are not bothered by them. This is because after the surgery, patients feel much more comfortable as their burden is reduced, their tolerance in hot weather increases, and they can now choose clothes according to their body. Therefore, due to all these gains, the resulting scars are almost never considered important. Additionally, after the scar healing is complete, different methods such as laser can be used.

Furthermore, many factors affect the permanence of scars, such as tissue tension, the patient's healing capacity, the skin flora's bacterial composition, whether the wound becomes infected later, or whether the patient shows sufficient care and attention.

Is Breast Reduction Surgery a Painful Procedure?

Breast reduction surgeries are not procedures that do not respond to painkillers. Therefore, it is possible to say that it is not a painful procedure. The patient needs to stay in the hospital on the day of the surgery. Although pain may be felt on the same day, these pains are controllable. When patients go home the next day, they often do not need painkillers either. Ultimately, no pain that affects daily life is experienced.

Can Women Planning Pregnancy Have Breast Reduction Surgery?

At this point, it would be most accurate to determine based on the patient's expectations and the decision made after the consultation with the doctor. Since breasts are dynamic organs, when weight is gained, fat tissue forms inside, they grow, and the skin increases. Later, when weight is lost, even if the fat decreases, the skin remains, and the breasts cannot recover, leading to sagging. Therefore, in dynamic processes such as pregnancy, it may be healthier to perform breast reduction surgery after the process is complete. However, at this point, informing the patient about all processes and outcomes and her expectations and demands are important. The decision for surgery can be determined accordingly.

Does Breast Reduction Surgery Affect Breastfeeding?

Whether a woman produces milk or not depends on different physiological reasons. In other words, it is not possible to determine in advance which woman will or will not be able to breastfeed. Therefore, even without surgery, a woman may not be able to breastfeed. For this reason, it cannot be said that women who have had breast reduction surgery "can breastfeed" or "cannot breastfeed." However, if there was a potential for breastfeeding before, after breast reduction surgery, 3 out of 4 or more women can continue to breastfeed. Additionally, the patient's expectations in this regard are also important during surgery. For example, if a woman has given birth before but has not breastfed and states that she will not breastfeed in future pregnancies, techniques that remove more tissue can be used. Conversely, in a woman who wants to breastfeed, the surgery can be performed by protecting a part of the breast tissue to enable breastfeeding. Ultimately, the patient's expectations and demands are extremely valuable at every stage.