Five Quick Facts About Breast Reduction
For the right patients, breast reduction surgery is a life-changing procedure that can offer many positive benefits to a woman’s physical and emotional health. Breast reductions are often used to alleviate some of the strain that heavy breasts place on the neck and back. They can also help to improve her mobility, reduce the symptoms of chronic pain, and boost her self-image. Despite its many advantages, breast reduction is still largely misunderstood by prospective patients who are a little hesitant to have the surgery. Clearing up some of the confusion about breast reduction can help those who need it most to seek this procedure for themselves.
Breast Reduction and Medical Insurance
Although there are many breast reduction surgeries that are considered to be cosmetic in nature, the vast majority of these surgeries are performed for real medical reasons. Constant pain and discomfort, physical limitations, and other troubles can lead many women with overly large breasts to seek help from their general practitioner or another health professional. When every day is a struggle to be comfortable or manage tasks that others take for granted, a breast reduction is so much more than a surgery to fit into cuter tops.
Under such circumstances, a breast reduction is deemed medically necessary and these women are given referrals to consult with a plastic surgeon. At this point, your insurance company will be alerted about your specific case and the important impact breast reduction could have on your future health and well-being. Many insurance companies are willing to assist with the coverage of your procedure; all you need to do is start asking the right questions about your breast size and its relationship to your health.
Aiming for a Specific Post-Reduction Cup Size
It would be wonderful if you could walk into your breast reduction consultation and order the cup size you want, but, just like patients seeking a breast augmentation will learn, it’s not as simple as that. While you’re probably eager to shop for new bras and shirts to wear after your surgery, you really should wait until you’ve fully recovered and all the swelling has gone done. Truth be told, your plastic surgeon won’t be reducing your breasts to a specific size or measurement. Rather, he or she will be removing the right amount of tissue to leave you with round, even, and proportional breasts that make more sense according to your body frame. This approach is the best way to guarantee that your breast reduction results look natural.
Pain and Discomfort During Breast Reduction Recovery
The breasts are a sensitive part of a woman’s body, so maybe thinking about the pain of recovery makes you cringe. Prospective patients who have a lot of work to be done might be even more nervous. In truth, the amount of tissue removed or reshaping that is performed won’t increase your pain, which should be only moderate. Post-breast reduction discomfort is typically mild to moderate and easily managed with cold compresses, pain medication, and lots of rest. If you’re too active after surgery, that extra blood flow will keep your breasts swollen, bruised, and sore. If you follow your surgeon’s instructions, you’ll fare much better and be back to your daily activities right on schedule. Manage any pain with the help of your doctor to have your best recovery experience.
Your Nipples After Breast Reduction
There are a couple of big misconceptions about the effect a breast reduction can have on your nipples, which might scare off some of the best candidates for the procedure. Because the nipples must be surgically repositioned during a breast reduction, there is a lot of concern from some patients about how this will affect both the nerves and the milk ducts. Many believe that permanent nerve damage and the inability to breastfeed later in life are definite outcomes of a breast reduction.
Nerve damage is a possibility following any surgery, but it is not an especially high risk for breast reduction. Today’s plastic surgeons are able to use refined techniques that can preserve the sensation in the nipples following your breast reduction surgery. If you choose a well-trained, credentialed plastic surgeon to perform your reduction, you should experience only minor nerve damage, if any at all. Most patients report tingling and numbness in their nipples throughout most of the recovery period, which gradually goes away as the feeling returns.
As for patients who are hoping to breastfeed at some point after a breast reduction surgery, communication with your plastic surgeon is key on this issue. During your consultation, discuss your desires for future children and nursing with your surgeon to get his opinion. Many plastic surgeons are able to relocate the nipples without damaging the milk glands and milk ducts that are essential to breastfeeding. If he or she has any reason to think you may not be able to breastfeed after surgery, the surgeon will give you the chance to assess your situation and decide if you can wait to have surgery until after you have completed your family.
The Importance of Your Surgeon
The right plastic surgeon can make all the difference in a successful breast reduction procedure that helps you achieve your results and minimize your downtime and risks. Frederick G. Weniger, M.D., F.A.C.S. provides his patients with years of experience and knowledge during one-on-one consultations regarding the surgeries and nonsurgical treatments available at their practice.
Dr. Weniger is board certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery and a member of The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He believes good information lies at the heart of success in all of his surgeries and interactions with his patients.
To schedule a consultation for any aesthetic service or other procedures, contact the office of Weniger Plastic Surgery today at (843) 757-0123. They are located at 350 Fording Island Road, Suite 200, in Bluffton, South Carolina.