Frankly, breast reduction patients are the most grateful and happiest patients a plastic surgeon has. The most common comment we hear after surgery is, "Why did I wait so long?"

Breast reduction removes a lot of weight which stresses shoulders, upper back and neck, and relieves painful deepening strap marks. Many patients also note a reduction in headaches which might be brought on by stress on the neck muscles.

The reduction procedure is performed in a surgery center or hospital, usually as an outpatient procedure. In some cases an overnight stay might be needed. It is done with a general anaesthetic, and takes about 2 1/2 hours. Recovery time depends on the patients' normal daily activities, but many women return to work in 2-3 weeks, with return to full activities in about 3-4 weeks.

Breast reduction does have some drawbacks, however. There are significant scars after this procedure, which result from the removal of excess skin and breast tissue, as well as the elevating (lifting) of the breast.

See samples of before & after photos

Sometimes sensation can be lost in the nipple; this is about a 10% risk. The good news is that if sensation is lost, it usually returns within 1-2 years. Breast feeding after reduction can be affected. A certain number of women cannot breast feed afterwards, and who will experience this cannot be predicted. If you are able to breast feed after surgery, great! But you must be prepared to accept the possibility that you might not be able to do so.

Insurance will often cover breast reduction. Some plans, however, do exclude breast reduction from benefits - please check your policy book. The many plans that do cover breast reduction do so under certain conditions. Most commonly, they require your primary care physician to document your symptoms (neck / shoulder / back pain, rashes, painful strap marks), and require your surgeon to remove around 500 - 600 grams (1 pound) from each breast. Ask your surgeon how small your breasts will be after this tissue is removed. As an average, most reductions in my practice range from 700 - 1200 grams removed from each breast.

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Breast Reduction Links:
American Society of Plastic Surgeons - Consumer's Guide to Breast Reduction
American Society of Plastic Surgeons - Breast Reduction
Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons - Breastlift & Breast Reduction
Discovery Channel Health - Breast Reduction
Discovery Channel Health - Plastic Surgery
American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

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Breast Surgery Procedures:
   Breast Augmentation / Enlargement
   Mastopexy / Breast lift
   Breast Reduction
   Breast Reconstruction