Breast Reduction

You are most likely to benefit from a breast reduction if one or more of the following conditions apply to you.

• You are self-conscious about the size of your breasts.
• Your back and neck ache because of the weight of your breasts.
• You have rashes under your breasts.
• You are getting grooves in your shoulders from your bra straps.
• You are finding it difficult to stand or sit up in a good position (bad posture).

Mr Sawyer will carry out a detailed assessment before deciding if surgery is suitable for you. This will include taking photos for your medical records. He will examine your breasts and ask you questions about your medical history.  If you are planning to lose a lot of weight. It may be better to lose weight first before having surgery.  Let Mr Sawyer know if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the future.  Pregnancy can change the size and shape of your breasts and may affect the long-term results of surgery.

Your breasts should be smaller and have a better shape.  Most women who have a successful breast reduction are more comfortable with their appearance, can wear more revealing clothing and their personal and sexual relationships improve.

It is usually difficult to reduce a large breast to less than a C cup. Any smaller and there is a risk of getting less well-shaped breasts or noticeable differences between your breasts.

Most women who need a breast reduction are used to large breast size and look more natural with at least a C cup. It is important to let your surgeon know the breast size you want to aim to achieve. It is important to discuss this carefully with your surgeon.

Breast reduction is a procedure performed under a general anaesthetic and usually lasts around 2.5 to 3 hours.  During the procedure, the excess breast tissue and skin is removed and the nipple and areola are repositioned.  Dissolvable stitches are then used to close the incision areas.  The average stay is 1-2 nights.

Patients are advised to put themselves into a support or sports bra as soon as possible following surgery.  A bra that gives firm all-round support should be worn as much as possible day and night for six weeks following surgery.  After this period normal bras including underwired varieties can be worn.

It is probably sensible, however, to wait for a total of three months before assessing the new bra size and getting a new wardrobe.

If undertaking vigorous sporting activities, a sports bra is advised.

We can give you advice on which bras are recommended.

Usually, there is pain and swelling for the first few days following the procedure but this is usually controlled with mild painkillers only.

It is important to wear a good supporting sports bra for the first six weeks following the operation.

After you have been discharged home Mr Sawyer will arrange for one of his nurses to review you seven days following the procedure.  A further review will be performed at day 14.  During this nurse review, the dressings may be changed.

Mr Sawyer will routinely review you around six weeks following the procedure.

It is completely normal to experience some swelling and post operative soreness in the first few days following this procedure.  You can usually return to light social activities after 7 days. These symptoms can be controlled by using regular paracetamol and ibuprofen.  It is important to rest during the first week or so.  Driving should be avoided for the first 10 to 14 days.

You can return to work depending on your occupation around 14 days following the procedure.

After two weeks you can begin to exercise, for example static cycling.  This activity can be increased so that by eight weeks following the surgery you can resume to all normal physical activity.

The ability to breastfeed can be affected by breast reduction surgery and you should consider this before deciding on the operation.