Breast Reduction in Rehoboth Beach
Breast reduction or reduction mammaplasty is surgical procedure that reduces the overall size of your breasts through removal of breast fat and glandular tissue and skin to achieve a smaller breast size more in proportion of your body. Having a breast reduction surgery will help reduce pain across back, neck and shoulders as well as reduce under breast rashes associated with excessively large breasts or macromastia.
Causes of Macromastia
- Pregnancy
- Weight gain
- Hereditary
- Puberty
- Medications – penicillamine
- Idiopathic
Abnormally large breasts can cause both physical and emotional stress for patients. Patients suffering from macromastia may experience pain across the back, neck and shoulders that might impair their ability to exercise or perform basic activities of daily living. In additional to physical distress, some patients with macromastia that develop during adolescence will experience emotional distress on the size and appearance of her breasts during her developing teenage years.
Many women of all ages with macromastia who are experiencing medical issues such as back pain and under breast rashes may qualify to have their breast reduction surgery covered under their health insurance plan as long as they meet certain criteria outlined by each insurance company. However, patients who do not have these symptoms but are unhappy with the abnormally large size of their breasts may still pursue breast reduction as an aesthetic procedure that will not be covered through insurance. Women choosing breast reduction surgery for cosmetic reasons often cite intimate concerns such as self image issues, clothing concerns and social stigmas.
Breast reduction surgery is also used in breast cancer reconstruction procedures to create better balance of the chest wall following mastectomy and reconstruction on the one side. Most of the time, the breast reduction will be covered under health insurance.
Dr. Chang is an amazing surgeon! He was highly recommended and I now know why … He has the hand and eye of a master sculpter. His team calmed my nerves with thier humor and great bedside manner. I received a breast reduction. I could not be happier with the results.
Thank you Dr. Chang and his team 💖
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Who are considered a good candidate for breast reduction surgery?
- You have realistic expectations and full understanding of what a breast reduction surgery provides
- You are bothered by the appearance that your breasts are too large for your own body
- You are experiencing discomfort across your back, neck and shoulder that are affecting your activities of daily living including exercise
- You are experiencing rashes and irritations under your breasts
- You have irritating shoulder indentations from the bra straps trying to support your heavy breasts
- You have uneven breasts as a result of breast cancer surgery
- You have uneven breasts since puberty due to abnormal response to your own hormones
- You are physically and mentally healthy, stable body weight and don’t smoke or are exposed to smoking in your own household
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What to expect at your breast reduction consultation?
- Why do you want to undergo breast reduction surgery and your expectations about the final outcome
- Evaluation of general medical conditions, medications, allergies, previous surgeries, prior mammograms, family history of macromastia or breast cancer, smoking history or exposure to alcohol and drugs
- Photographs taken of breasts, shoulders and any visible skin irritations under the breasts
- Examination of your breasts to determine if there is sufficient breast tissue that can removed to meet health insurance requirements and allow the reduced breast to be in proportion to the rest of your body. Measurements of size, nipple distance, skin thickness and quality and areola size will be taken.
- Discussion of whether your symptomatic enlarged breasts may qualify for a breast reduction to be covered under health insurance or would fall under a cosmetic procedure
- If decision to have breast reduction procedure covered by insurance, usually a six week period of conservative management is required with physical therapy and prescription creams for the breast skin irritations
- Discussion of likely outcomes and potential risks of the procedure
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What are the risks associated with breast reduction surgery?
- Scars in the shape of an anchor or inverted T
- Bleeding
- Fluid accumulation (seroma)
- Tissue loss around skin or nipples (higher in smokers, overweight, noncompliant, diabetics)
- Altered or loss nipple sensation or breast skin- temporal, permanent
- Pain
- Unevenness of breasts or nipples
- Fat necrosis (scar tissue from necrosis of fat cells)
- Inability for breast feeding
- Abnormal mammograms (calcium deposits from scar tissue)
- Regrowth of breast tissue (weight gain, future pregnancies)
- Unrealistic expectations of final appearance and size
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What to expect from breast reduction surgery and recovery?
- Breast reduction surgery is performed under general anesthesia
- Usually an overnight stay is recommended for larger breast reduction surgeries because of the risk for bleeding. In those cases, the procedure is performed in the hospital. Sometimes, the breast reduction can be performed as an outpatient procedure and can be done in either a certified ambulatory surgery center or hospital facility
- Average operative time is 2 hours
- Drains are placed that are removed in less than one week
- A surgical support bra is placed at the time of the procedure. A compression sports bra is recommended for a minimum of 6 weeks
- Light activity including car driving and lifting up to 10 lbs can start at 10-14 days
- Full activity including exercise can start at 6 weeks
- Scar management over the healed incisions with a topical silicone gel or vitamin E may start at 3 weeks
