Before and after bilateral breast reduction in a 25 year old woman with oversized and painful breasts and breast asymmetry. She had heavy, pendulous breasts and all the expected signs and symptoms of “macromastia” – pain in her neck, back and shoulders, shoulder grooving, rashes under her breasts and inability to find tops that fit and to perform sports and exercise without pain.
A breast reduction removed much of her bottom-heavy breast tissue but kept a good amount of breast tissue so that she remained proportional to the rest of her body. Over 900 grams of breast tissue (nearly 2 pounds) was removed from each breast. An “auto-augmentation” technique is our standard of care, using the “superomedial pedicle” technique, where the blood supply to the nipple is maintained from the sternal region.
In addition to an intact blood supply to the nipple, the sensory nerves and milk ducts from the nipple to the remainder of the breast tissue that is preserved is protected so that the two functions of the breast are preserved to the best of our ability: (1) the ability to breastfeed a baby in the future and (2) preservation of erogenous sensation to the nipple.
This was one of the first breast reductions I performed in my new private practice in 2006. While I had assisted in over 600 breast reductions during my 6 years of Plastic Surgery training (the Resident does one side while the attending surgeon does the other side), treating my OWN patients was so immensely rewarding to me as a woman Plastic Surgeon.
Breast reduction surgery is the number one most satisfying procedure in all of Plastic Surgery, with an approximate 99% satisfaction rate. Women FEEL immensely much more comfortable after surgery. Most women seek surgery because of physical symptoms related to macromastia.
However, as a Plastic Surgeon, my goals are all about how my patients LOOK after a breast reduction. My goals for breast reduction recipients is entirely aesthetic. After a breast reduction, women look and feel lighter, more youthful and less top-heavy and “matronly”. The goal for any Plastic Surgery procedure is to help my patients look and feel more comfortable in their skin.
Follow up photos are shown 5 years postoperatively with mature, faded scars and her “final, final result”. She was in her 30’s after gaining a few pounds but a stable result. My lovely patient shared with me some artistic photographs she had taken (last images shown), and I am honored to share them anonymously here with you. XO Dr. Karen
*All photos are actual patient photographs and are for illustrative purposes only. Individual results may vary.
