Breast Reduction

It’s pretty interesting to hear what critics of plastic surgery have to say. While their criticism of the potential Dangers of Plastic Surgery is certainly warranted and there are enough plastic surgery photos that prominently display cases of plastic surgery gone wrong, the reality is that most plastic surgery treatments do not end up as examples of bad plastic surgery. Although it is human nature for people that are considering undergoing plastic surgery to worry about being a victim of awful plastic surgery, what these plastic surgery critics tend to ignore is that the potential for complications and terrible plastic surgery are drastically reduced when the procedure is performed by a certified plastic surgeon that are experienced. One of the other main criticisms of plastic surgery is that it is a vain and superficial exercise. While television shows like MTV’s I Want a Famous Face that show young people undergo massive plastic surgery treatments so they can look like their favorite celebrity can certainly fit within the criticism that plastic surgery is superficial, these plastic surgery critics overlook one thing – plastic surgery encompasses both cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. Although the vast majority of plastic surgery treatments that are performed are done for cosmetic reasons, people shouldn’t overlook the fact that there are several plastic surgery treatments that are designed to alleviate health concerns. A plastic surgery treatment that is popular and is designed to help the patient’s health is breast reduction surgery. Technically known as reduction mammolasty, breast reduction surgery is the polar opposite of breast augmentation, a cosmetic surgery procedure designed to increase the size of a patient’s breast through the insertion of breast implants. Breast reduction surgery is often viewed as one of the least popular plastic surgery treatments but the plastic surgery statistics indicate that this is actually not true. According to their 2005 report, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) have reported that breast reduction surgery is the fifth most popular cosmetic surgical procedure for women with over 160,000 breast reduction surgeries performed in America in 2005. The appeal of breast reduction surgery is that having large breasts that are disproportionate to a person’s body is a difficult thing to deal with. While it would seem to contradict the belief that bigger is better, the popularity of breast reduction surgery show that sometimes bigger is actually not better. Many breast reduction surgery patients undergo this treatment so they can alleviate a number of medical problems that are caused by having large, heavy breasts. Carrying excessive breast weight can cause a variety of medical problems ranging from back and neck pain to skeletal deformities to problems with breathing to skin irritation. Many breast reduction surgery patients are younger women that find that having unusually large breasts causes them to feel self-conscious and distances them from their peers. Although male breast reduction surgery is also a popular plastic surgery treatment, this article will primarily deal with breast reduction surgery for women.

Considering that breast size is something that a person is unable to control, undergoing breast reduction surgery is often viewed as a great health and social decision for many breast reduction surgery patients. However, it is important to note that there are potential complications that result from undergoing breast reduction surgery. While the treatment is typically considered to be safe, there are a number of conditions that can make people a poor candidate for breast reduction surgery. Typically viewed as a treatment that is designed to give patient’s physical relief, plastic surgeons are wary of performing breast reduction surgery on younger patients. However, in cases where serious physical problems are being caused by large and heavy breasts, plastic surgeons will perform breast reduction surgery on patients that are younger. Unfortunately due to the nature of the work, breast reduction surgery results in permanent scarring. Qualified cosmetic surgeons are however aware of aesthetic concerns and will work diligently to ensure that these scars will be in places that will be covered up by either a bra or bathing suit. During breast reduction surgery, there is potential for complications like bleeding, infection and a negative reaction to the anesthesia. However, these are all potential complications for any type of surgery. In some cases, breast reduction surgery patients may require antibiotic cream to treat small sores that sometimes develop around their nipples. More importantly, it is recommended that women who are considering breast reduction surgery understand that the surgery can take away their ability to breast feed, as the milk ducts that lead to the patient’s nipples are often removed during the surgery.

Typically, breast reduction surgery is performed at either the plastic surgeon’s office, a hospital, or an outpatient surgery center. The patient is typically given general anesthesia so they will be asleep during the treatment. Although there are a number of surgical techniques that the plastic surgeon is able to employ, breast reduction surgery is designed so that the plastic surgeon will remove fat, glandular tissue, and skin from the patient’s breasts. This will result in smaller, firmer, and lighter breasts that are more proportional for the patient’s body. In the most common technique employed by plastic surgeons, breast reduction surgery will involve an anchor-shaped incision on the patient’s breasts. From there, the surgeon will remove fat, skin, and glandular tissue from the patient’s breasts. After that, the plastic surgeon will move the nipple and areola upwards. In some rare cases where the patient has particularly large or pendulous breasts, the plastic surgeon may have to remove the patient’s nipples and areolas and graft them to their higher position, which results in the patient’s ability to feel things in their nipples and areolar tissue. Once this has been completed, the plastic surgeon will bring the remaining breast skin down and around the areola. Sutures are added and then the breast reduction surgery procedure is completed. In some instances, the plastic surgeon may have to do liposuction surgery in the patient’s armpit area for reasons of proportion.