Breast Reduction In Melbourne: What Should I Know?

16 Jan Breast Reduction In Melbourne: What Should I Know?

An overly large cup size can take a physical and emotional toll on many women’s health. Large breasts can cause neck, shoulder, and back pain. In addition, they can restrict your daily activities, sometimes resulting in poor productivity. Moreover, large breasts can cause low self-esteem that may affect your quality of life. If you have health problems due to your breast size, you might be a good candidate for breast reduction in Melbourne with Dr Ritz. Before getting this life-changing procedure, here are some of the important things that you should know first.

It offers various health benefits

A breast reduction does more than just reduce your breast size. Aside from achieving a breast profile that is in proportion with your body, it can also offer various health benefits, such as:

• Improvement of spinal health: Breast reduction reduces back pain due to large breasts. It does this by reducing the weight of your breasts. This in turn reduces tension on your spine and pressure on your lower back.
• Reduction of breast skin irritation: Large breasts often put extra pressure on your skin. As a result, you will more likely experience deep bra strap grooves. In most cases, this can irritate your breast skin and it can cause pain. Breast reduction prevents this from happening by reducing your breast weight.
• Improvement of body posture: Breast reduction reduces unnecessary weight on the upper part of your body. This helps improve the alignment of your shoulders, trunks, and lower back. Moreover, a breast reduction can improve your body image and confidence, subconsciously leading to your posture improving.
• Prevention of headaches: If you have excessive breast weight, you will likely experience headaches more often. This is because your breasts put too much pressure on the muscles of your neck and back. Having a breast reduction reduces the prevalence of headaches by decreasing this added pressure.
• Improvement of quality of life: Overly large breasts can limit your movement. As a result, you may not be productive at work and in daily activities. By reducing your breast weight, breast reduction can boost your productivity.

It can only reduce one to two cup sizes

Having realistic expectations before surgery is critical, and it is important to understand that a breast reduction may not give you the exact cup size you desire. Depending on your breast size and composition, the procedure is often only capable of reducing one to two cup sizes. During your consultation in Melbourne, our breast reduction specialist Dr Morris Ritz will create a customised treatment plan. This will be based on your breast size, amount of breast tissue, and desired results.

You may need a breast lift during your breast reduction surgery

During breast reduction, your surgeon will remove excess breast tissue and skin, in order to create breasts that are better proportioned to your body type. To achieve such well-defined breasts, a breast lift is sometimes also necessary. This is performed by making an incision in your breasts and lifting your nipples and breast skin. The result? Tighter and younger-looking breasts.

Men can also undergo breast reduction

Men can also develop excessive breast tissue due to several factors, such as:

• Advanced age
• Genetics
• Kidney problems
• Liver problems
• Low levels of the male hormone known as testosterone
• Malnutrition
• Obesity
• Thyroid disease
• Tumors

A male breast reduction involves the removal of excess fat and tissue from your breasts. The breasts can also be reshaped to achieve a flatter, more masculine appearance. This procedure does not only improve body image but also boosts self-confidence.

Breast reduction is not for everyone

You may be a suitable candidate for the procedure if:

• You often develop shoulder indentations from bra straps
• You are not a smoker, or are committed to quit smoking for at least 3-6 weeks before surgery
• You are physically and mentally healthy
• You are suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, headaches, and skin irritation as a result of the size of your breasts
• You have low self-confidence and low quality of life due to your breast size
• You have realistic treatment goals
• Your activities of daily living are limited by your breast size

However, breast reduction is not recommended for patients who are:

• At increased risk for bleeding
• Breastfeeding
• Pregnant
• Severely obese
• Smokers
• Suffering from undiagnosed breast condition or infection

Postoperative scarring cannot be prevented

Like other breast surgeries, postoperative scarring is inevitable. The incisions are usually created on the lower half of your breasts, just below your nipple. This helps make them less noticeable, plus they can be covered with your clothing. Don’t worry too much, however – your surgical scars will lighten over time.

It is important to keep in mind that the extent of the scarring will depend on the surgical technique used. Different types of breast reduction usually make use of various incision techniques. These include:

• Anchor Breast Reduction: This technique creates an incision around your nipple going down to your breast. The incision continues along the breast crease which creates an anchor appearance. Your surgeon usually removes excess skin, fat, and tissue from your breast’s lower segment.
• Vertical Breast Reduction: This less invasive technique creates an incision that looks like a ‘lollipop’. It is created around your areola going down to your breast. This is where your surgeon will remove the excess breast skin, fat, and tissue.

Before your procedure, your surgeon will assess your body type and cosmetic goals. This helps determine the best surgical technique that will suit your breast condition.

Breast reduction has its risks and complications

During your consultation in our clinic, our plastic surgeon Dr Morris Ritz will discuss the following risks and complications:

• Accumulation of blood or fluids inside your breasts
• Allergic reaction to anaesthesia, sutures, and materials used
• Bleeding
• Blood clots
• Breast asymmetry
• Breast firmness
• Breastfeeding problems
• Bruising
• Death of breast tissue
• Delayed wound healing
• Heart and lung complications
• Increasing pain
• Infection
• Irregularities in the shape of your breasts
• Loss of skin or tissue at the incision site
• Skin discolouration
• Swelling
• Temporary or permanent loss of nipple sensation
• Unfavourable scarring

To prevent complications, it is of utmost importance to find a qualified surgeon who has vast experience in the field of breast reduction.

For more information about this life-changing surgery, please visit our main breast reduction surgery page, or fill out our contact form to schedule a consultation at our clinic.