HOW IS THE BREAST REDUCTION PROCEDURE DONE?

Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • Nov 26, 2023

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MYTIEN GOLDBERG, MD, FACS

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HOW IS THE BREAST REDUCTION PROCEDURE DONE?

Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • Nov 26, 2023

Breast Reduction Surgery


Breast reduction surgery is a surgical method of reducing the size of the breasts. A breast reduction procedure is most commonly performed for women who have breasts that are too large in relation to their body frame, women who have shoulder, neck or back problems caused by the weight of the breasts, women who are restricted from physical activity due to the size of the breasts, and for women whose breasts are large enough to cause body image and self-esteem issues. Breast reduction can attend to one or both breasts if they are disproportional or if they differ in size.


Breast reduction surgery is available to any patient whose breasts have completed physical maturation. One of the most significant factors involving the size and shape of the breasts is pregnancy and breast-feeding which can dramatically change the shape and size of the breast and some doctors may recommend waiting until after childbirth, although this is not a rule. Patients should also be in good physical health and be non-smokers. Patients who regularly smoke and wish to undergo breast reduction surgery may be asked to quit for several months before and after the procedure. Patients will also need to refrain from the use of Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs that thin the blood and can cause a risk of bleeding during surgery.


How is the breast reduction procedure done?


During a breast reduction procedure, the surgeon will make 3 main incisions and generally they are all that are necessary. The first incision runs from the areola down to the base of the breast. The second incision runs along the underside of the breast and follows the curve of the breast. The final incision traces the aureola so that the nipple can be repositioned after breast tissue has been removed. The nipples remain connected to the underlying tissues in an effort to retain function and sensation. The size of the aureola can also be reduced before repositioning to help balance the proportion between the size of the breast and the nipple. Be sure talk with your surgeon about any future plans to have children and express any concerns regarding breast function.


A breast reduction procedure can be performed in a hospital or at a surgical center and takes anywhere from 2-4 hours on average. During this time the patient will remain under general anesthesia to prevent pain and will not feel or remember anything. Although a breast reduction is a major surgery, it is usually considered an outpatient procedure, meaning patients are allowed to return home afterwards and do not necessarily require an overnight stay. Some patients choose to stay at a post surgical recovery center the first night after surgery to make sure they get the optimal care and attention available.


There are multiple variations on procedures and a surgeon will be able to determine what is best for each patient.


The most important thing patients can do to make sure surgery provides the best results is to stay healthy in the weeks and months leading up to surgery, and get plenty of rest and take care of the body afterwards. It is vitally important to follow the advice of the surgeons as closely as possible and not to rush back to strenuous activities. Most patients are able move about after several days and with the help of post-surgical compression bras may be able to return to work in around 2 weeks with the approval of the surgeon during check ups. Vigorous activities should initially be avoided but should slowly be eased into as advised by surgeons. While the breast will be very swollen and tender for at least the first couple of weeks, swelling and discomfort will subside fully over the course of several months and patients will be able to return to wearing normal bras and finally get an idea of what the final outcome will be.

A woman in a white lab coat is standing with her arms crossed.

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WHAT IS A BREAST LIFT?

By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
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I HAVE A DEFLATED BREAST IMPLANT, WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?

By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
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WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON COSMETIC SURGERY PROCEDURE IN THE US IN 2011?

By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
In America and throughout the world, both men and women are expected to look healthy and young well into their 30’s, 40’s, 50’ and 60’s. While diet and exercise can play a large role in looking younger, the use of modern cosmetic surgery has become one of the most popular ways to beat back the clock. Getting surgical cosmetic procedures has become very commonplace, with an ever-growing percentage of the population opting in to get cosmetic surgery. Yet there is a large divide between women and men, and what procedures are most popular for each of the sexes. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons today released top line data from its 2011 plastic Surgery Statistics Report. The latest data shows breast augmentation is still the most common cosmetic surgery procedure for 2011. There were 307, 180 breast augmentation procedures performed in 2011, up 3.7% since 2010. Many of the common signs of aging that occur to a woman’s breasts as she gets older can be very devastating to her self esteem. Yet with today’s modern surgical options, there is a viable option for women to change the way they look. Second to breast augmentation, rhinoplasty is the most popular cosmetic procedure, with a total of 243,772 procedures being performed in 2011. The growing number of cosmetic procedures is an indication that even in this tough economic climate, more consumers are choosing cosmetic surgery as a way to look younger and feel better about themselves. We certainly see the same trend in our practice. More and more women are seeking improvements in their look. We support this trend as many of these procedures equate to improvements in their overall self-confidence and quality of life.

FACE LIFT SURGERY CAN ERASE AN AVERAGE 7 YEARS OFF YOUR AGE

By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
A new study published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery in February 2012, looks at perceived age after facial plastic surgery. This novel study attempts to quantify the degree of perceived age change after facial plastic surgical procedures . A total of 60 patients were enrolled in the study and divided into 3 groups: Group 1 patients had only facelift and neck lift (total of 22 patients); Group 2 patients had facelift, neck lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery (total 19 patients); and Group 3 patients had facelift, neck lift, upper and lower eyelid surgery, and brow lift (total 21 patients). The investigators then asked a group of first year medical student to estimate the patient’s age based on the Before and After pictures of each patient. The researchers tried to standardize the photographs by asking participants to not wear makeup. The researchers found that on average, the raters estimated that the patients looked 1.7 years younger than their actual age before surgery, and 8.9 years younger afterward. On average, the estimated age dipped by 5.7 years in group 1 (patients with neck and face lift), and by 8.4 years in the third group (patients with neck, face lift, upper and lower eyelid and brow lift). Therefore, the author of the study concludes that facial rejuvenation surgeries demonstrate a significant and consistent reduction in perceived age. This effect is more substantial when the number of surgical procedures is increase. The desire to improve one’s physical presentation and to maintain a youthful appearance is intrinsic in our evolution. Physical appearance and how we are perceived by others have implications for social and psychological functioning, as well as our sense of well-being, self-esteem, and self-confidence. Before you seek to have plastic surgery procedures, do your homework and check that the doctor is board-certified in plastic surgery. There is a lot of white-coat deception. Virtually any kind of doctor legally claims to be a plastic surgeon without any formal training in plastic surgery. As a board certified plastic surgeon, I have seen increasing numbers of patients who present with complications and unsatisfactory outcomes after having procedures done by non board certified plastic surgeon.

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By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
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CAN BREAST IMPLANTS ACHIEVE SOME LIFTING OF SAGGING BREASTS?

By Mytien Goldberg, MD, FACS • 26 Nov, 2023
Do Breast Implants Lift There are many cosmetic surgery procedures commonly performed on the breasts and those who have not researched them before are often unfamiliar with what each procedure is intended to address. We were recently asked if breast implants can achieve some lifting of sagging breasts. In truth, women with sagging breasts are facing an issue of excess skin, which is often caused by fluctuations in weight, aging and gravity or the trauma of childbirth and breastfeeding. An implant will indeed make the breast larger, but the amount of excess skin commonly concerning women who consider their breasts to be sagging is generally much more skin than would be occupied by a reasonable sized implant. Furthermore if an implant is added to sagging breasts in which the nipple is facing downward, the location and direction of the nipple will remain in nearly the same position and orientation even afterwards. A breast lift is a procedure in which the skin of the breasts is first pulled taught. After which the excess skin is removed and the nipple is relocated at the proper level and angle to assure that the breast appears balanced and youthful. Although a breast lift makes the breast look more youthful, smooth and firm it will often make the breast appear slightly smaller because of the excess skin being removed. While breast implants alone cannot full address concerns of sagging breasts, breast lift procedures are specifically designed to address sagging breasts. One popular option that many women who are concerned with both sagging breasts and the current or post-op breast size now choose is to have a breast lift with breast implants , which can be done in one procedure or the two can be done separately. This allows patients to increase the size of the breasts while simultaneously addressing the issue of saggy breasts.  Breast implants alone, even large ones, will likely not prevent sag in breasts that are already sagging. Sagging breasts should be treated with a breast lift but can include implants. A breast lift with breast implants is a great option for those who are afraid of losing mass or cup sizes after a breast lift and for those who would like slightly larger breasts as well as a firmer and fuller shape free of sag.
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