Breast Reduction, also called a Reduction Mammoplasty, can reduce the size of breasts significantly. The procedure can also reduce the size of the darker area around the nipple called the areola. There are several benefits to a breast reduction and we chatted to Dr Shagun Aggarwal from Sydney’s North Shore about the reasons why women come to him for a breast reduction in Sydney.
While a breast reduction can reduce the size of the breast, it can also help to give a perkier appearance to the breast and move the nipple to a more youthful, desirable position. Dr Aggarwal says there are several reasons why women have reductions. “They may have pain that is occurring in the back, neck, shoulders or the breasts themselves; heaviness of the breasts that causes bra straps to dig into the shoulders, difficulty sleeping or getting comfortable at night or the need to use arms to lift the breasts. Larger breasts can also cause maceration or rashes of the skin under the breasts, especially in warmer weather or alternatively women seek the procedure to correct the sagging of their breasts, also called breast ptosis.”
Dr Aggarwal shared an image from his website to demonstrate breast ptosis (see below). He says, “A indicates a mild degree of ptosis where the nipple sits at the fold of the breast and B and C indicate a more severe degree of ptosis where the nipple sits below the fold of the breast. A breast reduction can help to improve the size and the shape of the breast to be more in proportion with the rest of the patient’s body.”
What’s involved in a breast reduction procedure?
Dr Aggarwal says from a surgical point of view a breast reduction operation removes parts of the breast gland and fat while keeping tissues behind the nipple to maintain the blood and nerve supply to the nipple. “The breast is then reshaped into a more pleasing, beautiful shape. The more tissue that is removed the more the blood supply to the nipple can be threatened – there is therefore a limit to how small we can make you, safely, during a breast reduction procedure. Many women initially want to go as small as possible as they are sick of having heavy breasts. This is generally unwise as while it is easy to feel this way with your current breast size, you will regret being too small later.”
Many women want to change the shape of their breasts to be higher and perkier but not lose any of the volume of their breasts. Dr Aggarwal says in these cases a breast lift may be more appropriate for women. “This is often the case when breasts deflate with weight loss and also the effects of pregnancy and breastfeeding, leading to loss of volume and shape. The breast reduction procedure is very similar to a breast lift, and the scars are also similar. However during the procedure parts of the breast tissue and fat are excised to achieve a reduction in volume and improvement in shape.”
Breast Reduction Scars
There are generally two types of scars or scar positioning with breast reductions – the “lollypop” scar or the “anchor” scar. Dr Aggarwal said the decision of which scar will be employed depends on the amount of reduction required and the amount of loose skin that must be removed at the lower part of the breast. “In general I prefer the lollipop or vertical pattern for smallermost breast reductions. It is important to remember however that with this technique a certain amount of loose skin will initially be present at the lower part of the breast. This loose skin takes up over a period of 3-6 months.
“An anchor scar is necessary for patients who require a larger reduction, or require a large of amount of skin to be removed. In these patients too much loose skin would be present at the lower part of the breast if the lollipop scar was employed. We see a lot of women who need very large breast reductions sometimes close to or over 1kg on each side. These women do fantastically with anchor scars as they are hidden under the berast, and it produces a beautiful shape and size”
Breast Reduction and Medicare
A breast reduction can attract a rebate from Medicare. However, Dr Aggarwal says, “A referral is required and you will need to have adequate private health insurance cover.” To learn more about this contact Dr Aggarwal at Mode Plastic Surgery.
Dr Shagun Aggarwal is highly experienced in all breast surgery and shared some of his patient images with us to show us what is possible with a breast reduction. If you’d like more information or would like to arrange a consultation with Dr Aggarwal to see what is possible for you, visit his website or phone his clinic on 1300 80 9000.
Further Reading Related to Breast Reduction Surgery
- Breast Reduction Melbourne by Dr Carmen Munteanu FRACS (Plas)
- Will Medicare cover my surgery? – Michael Kernohan
- Does Medicare Cover Breast Reduction Surgery?
- Can I Use My Super For My Plastic Surgery?
- Breast Reduction by Dr. Guy Watts | Plastic Surgeon Perth
- Breast Reduction Sydney – Soliman Plastic Surgery