Breast Reduction: What You Need to Know

In this article, we talk about breast reduction (reduction mammaplasty) for women, and also look at male breast reduction too. If you’re keen to understand everything to do with this form of cosmetic surgery, read on to discover more...

What is a Breast Reduction?

Breast reduction is the cosmetic procedure of reducing the size of your breasts so that they become lighter, smaller, and more manageable. Breast reduction often isn’t done for purely cosmetic reasons, many people choose to have a breast reduction because of -

1. Backache
2. Irritated skin underneath the breasts
3. Shoulder and/or neck pain
4. Mental health reasons
5. An inability to exercise properly

Before Surgery

Once you’ve decided to go ahead with breast reduction surgery, there will be certain steps that you’ll go through before your operation. You will discuss with your surgeon your expectations for the end result, an examination and measurement of your breasts will be taken, and you will be made aware of what breast reduction surgery entails.

What Happens During Breast Reduction Surgery?

At Este, all of our breast reduction procedures are carried out at our state-of-the-art medical centre in Istanbul. Your breast reduction Turkey experience will be just as detailed as a procedure here in the UK, and the surgeons we use have at least a decade of experience – and often much more than that. During surgery, you will -

1. Go under general anaesthetic
2. Have a small incision made around the areola, and vertically down the breast – this is to remove any excess tissue
3. If necessary, your nipples will be repositioned and your breasts reshaped
4. Your breast size is reduced and your breasts lifted

Surgery generally takes around 1-2 hours, and you will usually be able to leave the clinic the same day.

What Happens After Breast Reduction Surgery?

If your surgery has gone to plan, you can expect to heal well after your surgery and look forward to enjoying much smaller, more manageable breasts. The NHS states that breast reduction recovery time is anything from 2 – 6 weeks, while any soreness is most likely to be experienced for up to three weeks after your treatment. It is common to feel more tired than usual, and you’ll probably need to take pain medication such as paracetamol to help ease tenderness.

Surgery itself can be daunting enough, but it’s only after surgery that you might face issues such as potential breast reduction scarring, pain, and problems with the look of your breast reduction.

Common problems after breast reduction surgery include -

• Wounds not healing properly
• Breast reduction scars
• Badly-shaped nipples and/or breasts
• Swelling and/or bruising
• Pigmentation problems

At Este, we work with the best surgeons to ensure breast reduction procedures go smoothly and to plan.

What Can’t I do After Surgery?

During your recovery period, you will need to make sure you get as much rest as possible. Some normal day-to-day activities will need to be avoided, and you may need help with others. Most people who have breast reduction surgery will need to take time off work to recover fully.

The main things you will need to consider are that you won’t be able to drive for a considerable length of time post-surgery. This is because wearing a seatbelt will put unnecessary pressure on your treatment area and could cause pain. You might not be able to drive for around seven weeks. Other things to consider are how much help you’ll need with things like -

• Housework
• Childcare
• Shopping
• Walking the dog

What about Male Breast Reduction?

If you are male and you’re considering a breast reduction procedure, then Este is able to carry out your surgery at our sister clinic in Istanbul, Turkey. Gynaecomastia is a condition that affects approximately 30% of men. It can occur at any age, and comes about because of an excess in oestrogen, or testosterone deficiency. Gynaecomastia causes the breast tissue to swell. It can sometimes be tender or painful, and you may experience nipple discharge.

Male breast reduction surgery is an option for men who are experiencing gynaecomastia that isn’t subsiding. At Este, we can carry out this procedure at our state-of-the-art clinic in Istanbul where our highly experienced surgeons have performed many breast reduction procedures with great results.

The Last Word

Choosing to have breast reduction surgery isn’t an impulse decision. You need to weigh up the pros and cons around this procedure and decide whether it really will help improve your quality of life. If your breasts are causing you discomfort due to their size, your first port of call should be your GP, who’ll be able to talk you through your options.