What is the process for breast reduction?

Start with: Consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon. If he/she thinks you are a candidate for surgery, a mammogram and medical evaluation will likely follow. Also consult with your insurance company to see if this is a covered procedure. This is a major operation that should not be taken lightly.

Seek Consultation: Seek consultation with board certified plastic surgeon. Discuss your concerns and goals. Learn about the potential risks/complications associated with the breast reduction procedure. Consider factors such as life circumstances and timing of the procedure. Make sure that you are doing the procedure for the “right reasons”, understand the pros/cons, and have realistic expectations.

Artistic endeavor: The reshaping of the breast requires sculpting of breast tissue in 3 dimensions. Usually, the scars to reduce and reshape the skin surround the areola, pass vertically from the base of the areola to the breast fold and then run along the breast crease. Woman who seek reduction often complain of back and neck pain prior to the surgery and find much relief afterwards. www.artofplasticsurgery.com

During the procedure: excess skin and breast tissue is removed. The nipple is left attached to remaining breast tissue and moved to a new position to match the new, smaller breast size. The scar depends on the surgical technique used to accomplish that goal. I use a vertical scar technique because it gives a much better shape to the final breast reduction result.