Breast Reduction Techniques By Carmel Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeons on September 20, 2011

Many people think that when it comes to cosmetic surgery for the breasts, the only surgery to consider is breast augmentation. That is not the case however. There is more to cosmetic breast enhancement than the surgical placement of breast implants. In fact, some women have issues with breasts that are too large or are poorly proportioned with the rest of their body.

This issue with body contour can cause women to be quite self-conscious and it can make buying clothes a hassle. In some cases, the breasts may be so large that they cause back pain, neck pain, or shoulder pain.

About Breast Reduction Surgery

In such cases where the breasts are overlarge or poorly proportioned, there is always breast reduction surgery (also known as reduction mammaplasty). When you visit our Indianapolis plastic surgery practice, we will assess your candidacy for breast reduction surgery. The surgery will remove excess skin and tissue of the breasts in order to achieve a shape that is more proportionate. After breast reduction, the curves of your body should better complement each other.

Traditional Breast Reduction Surgery

There are many different ways to perform breast reduction surgery based on the specific needs of the patient. It’s best that we begin by discussing the traditional breast reduction surgery technique and then move on to its variations after that.

During a traditional breast reduction surgery, there are three different incisions that are made:

One incision is made around the areola
One incision is made along the crease where the breast meets the chest
One incision is made along the underside of the breast connecting the two previously mentioned incisions

If you’re having trouble visualizing this, it may be helpful to think of these incisions in terms of an anchor shape. Through these incisions, excess skin, fat, and glandular tissue will be removed in order to achieve a more desirable shape.

Other Incision Methods for Breast Reduction Surgery

Since the needs of each patient will vary, the incisions made during breast reduction surgery can be altered as needed depending on the amount of tissue that needs to be removed. In some cases, breast reduction surgery will only involve incisions made around the areola and along the underside of the breasts. Sometimes an incision will only be required around the areola, and in some cases an incision may only be required around part of the areola.

Combined Breast Reduction and Breast Lift

In addition to the above incision methods, a breast reduction surgery can be combined with other breast enhancement surgery techniques in order to achieve a more comprehensive contour improvement. It is not unheard of for a breast reduction surgery to be combined with a breast lift surgery, for instance, to improve the contour and pertness of the breasts. This makes sense given that the two surgeries use the same incisions to achieve similar ends.

Which option is best for me?

During the consultation process at the practice, we’ll be able to discuss all of these options with you in more detail. Your needs will differ from the needs of other patients, and it is only in person that we can fully assess these needs and figure out how they can be best met.