Breast reduction surgery can help you get on with life with less pain and a breast shape better suited to your body and lifestyle. Here are some of the common questions we hear from women during breast reduction consultations:
What do I need as a patient before booking a breast reduction consultation?
- Medical History: Be prepared to provide a comprehensive medical history, including previous operations, medications you currently take, allergies and chronic health conditions.
- Reasons for Surgery: Clearly state your reasons for wanting surgery, including physical discomfort or psychological reasons. This helps the surgeon understand your motivations and goals.
- Realistic Expectations: Have a clear understanding of what surgery can and cannot do. Talk to the surgeon to determine whether your expectations are in line with the potential results.
- Support System: Make sure you have a support system in place during your recovery. This should include someone who will take you home after surgery and help you for the first few days.
- Lifestyle Adjustments: Be ready to make any necessary lifestyle changes before surgery, such as stopping smoking or adjusting medications. This will depend on your surgeon's advice.
- Research: Educate yourself about the procedure, including potential risks, benefits and the different techniques used. This will help you ask informed questions during the consultation.
- Consultation Preparation: Prepare a list of questions to ask your surgeon during the consultation. These may include questions about the surgeon's experience, the surgical technique recommended for you, recovery time and possible complications.
- Health and Fitness: Maintain a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and regular exercise, as being in good physical condition can contribute to your recovery and the overall result of the operation.
- Pre-operative Tests: Be prepared to undergo any pre-operative tests or assessments your surgeon considers necessary, such as mammography or breast ultrasound.
What is breast reduction surgery? You can read this article for detailed general information.
How long does breast reduction surgery take?
An average breast reduction operation can take 2 to 4 hours to complete. Your surgeon can give you an estimate of how long your particular procedure will take.
Is breast reduction risky?
All surgery carries a risk of complications. However, breast reduction surgery itself is generally quite safe.
The most common breast reduction complications are wound-healing problems, haematoma and breast reduction scars. Most patients have an anchor-shaped scar that circles the nipple, includes a straight line down to the fold beneath the breast and runs along the fold beneath the breast. The scar will be red at first but will fade to skin colour over time and become barely noticeable.
Is breast reduction painful?
Anaesthesia will be given during the procedure, but you should expect to feel pain for two to three days after surgery. You will be given pain medication, and your surgeon may recommend gently placing wrapped ice packs on the painful areas to help with pain and swelling. If your pain lasts longer than a few days or becomes unbearable, contact your doctor immediately.
How much does breast reduction surgery cost?
The total cost of breast reduction varies according to the type of procedure, the surgeon's level or experience and where you have the operation. You can get clear information about the cost in a face-to-face consultation with your surgeon.
How old do you have to be to have breast reduction surgery?
Breast reduction surgery should only be performed once the breasts are fully developed. After that, it can be performed on women of any age.
Should I lose weight before breast reduction?
Tell your surgeon if you plan to lose a significant amount of weight. Weight loss before or after breast reduction surgery can affect the resulting shape of the breast. If you are in the process of losing weight, having the operation after you have lost the weight will reduce the likelihood of the breast sagging and becoming deformed again.
Do you recommend having breast reduction before or after having children?
The size and shape of the breasts often change during and after pregnancy, so it will be helpful to talk to your surgeon about the possibility of becoming pregnant after breast reduction surgery.
As breast size will change in patients planning a pregnancy, we recommend that they consider the operation after pregnancy and breastfeeding. Otherwise, the surgically corrected breast may sag and become deformed again during breastfeeding and pregnancy.
If you plan to become pregnant in the future, breast reduction surgery may limit your ability to breastfeed, especially if a large amount of breast tissue is removed or the milk ducts are affected by the surgery. These are good questions to discuss during your breast reduction consultation, because depending on the technique used, the milk ducts may not be affected. For this reason, you should be very careful when choosing your doctor.
Can breast reduction cause breast cancer? Does breast reduction reduce the risk of breast cancer?
Breast cancer risk varies from person to person, and breast reduction has not been shown to increase or decrease this risk. However, since breast reduction surgery further reduces the amount of breast tissue, studies are being carried out on whether the risk is reduced. If you have questions about your personal breast cancer risk, discuss this with your surgeon.
What will I wear after breast reduction surgery?
Patients are generally given a surgical bra to wear 24 hours a day for 1 month after surgery.
When can I wear a normal bra after breast reduction?
Wait for the swelling to subside completely. This can take up to three months. You can then shop for new bras that suit your new breast size and shape.
What are the best questions to ask a breast reduction surgeon?
We welcome your questions at any stage of the process, but it is particularly important that you come to your breast reduction consultation with a list of your questions, concerns or anything you would like to know more about. Here are a few to help you get started:
- What are your plastic surgeon's qualifications?
- At which hospital do you perform the operation?
- Is breast reduction right for me?
- How can I improve my quality of life?
- Which surgical technique do you recommend?
- What are the risks associated with this procedure?
- What will recovery be like?
- How will my breasts look over time? And so on.
Breast Reduction Surgery for a Better Life
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Karadağ has been working in the field of aesthetic and plastic surgery since 2009. She currently performs her operations at Acıbadem Altunizade Hospital and Medipol Acıbadem Regional Hospital.
At her private practice on Bağdat Avenue, Istanbul, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Karadağ serves her patients with a personal and professional approach; in a preliminary consultation with her, you can get answers to all your questions about breast reduction surgery and receive detailed information about the process. You can take the first step by contacting our clinic to book an appointment.
