Reduction mammoplasty is a surgical procedure aimed at reducing breast size by resecting (removing) glandular and fat tissue. Sometimes this procedure is coupled with shape and placement correction. Breast reduction can serve both aesthetic and health-related purposes, and is becoming an increasingly popular procedure.
Excessively large mammry glands, which do not correspond to the height and body weight, may develop both during puberty and later in the adult life. Large or sagging breasts can cause both physical and psychological suffering for women. Discomfort due to excessive volume and weight of the glands is the main indication for reduction mammoplasty in most patients.
Hypertrophy of the mammary glands can be accompanied by chronic mastitis and mastopathy with or without pain syndrome. Most often, patients complain about skin problems in the submammary fold area, which is difficult to treat. Stretch marks appear on the breasts, and dilated veins become noticeable. Therefore, reduction mammoplasty has not only an aesthetic but also a therapeutic character.
In addition to clinical and laboratory examinations, the mandatory preoperative measures should include consultation with a mammologist, ultrasound examination and mammography. During a consultation with the cosmetic surgeon, it is important to discuss the patient’s preferences and listen to their opinion. Each patient has a different idea of the desired breast size and shape. The surgeon examines the breasts and takes necessary measurements, explaining the operation’s peculiarities in relation to age, skin condition, breast shape, and size. Typically, breast reduction is not recommended for women planning future pregnancy.
The operation is performed under general anesthesia and typically lasts for 1.5-3 hours. The surgeon removes excess fat, glandular tissue, skin, and relocates the nipple and areola to a new position. Additionally, the excess tissue of the mammary glands, which is excised, is often altered due to mastopathy, and its removal is beneficial as it reduces the risk of malignant transformation of the mammary gland. The removal of mammary gland tissue does not increase the risk of oncological diseases in the future. The next step is the skin flap reduction around the areola to form a new contour of the breasts. The tissues are joined with special cosmetic sutures. Typically, the sutures are placed around the areola and vertically downward to the inframammary fold.
The precise cost is determined by the doctor during the consultation, as the volume patient wishes to remove, type of surgical intervention and its complexity must be considered. Though, typically, the procedure costs around 1000$.
