Breast reduction

Breast reduction surgery, or reduction mammoplasty, is most often performed for health reasons.

Breasts weigh more than 400 grams and can cause neck and back pain, put strain on the spine, and lead to osteoporosis.

However, there are also aesthetic reasons that greatly affect the quality of life of patients – they find it uncomfortable to undress into a swimsuit, they find it difficult to find suitable clothes, and they find it difficult to perform many physical activities.

This is why today more and more women decide to undergo breast reduction surgery. During breast reduction surgery, excess fat, glandular tissue, and excess skin are removed to improve the shape of the breast, and often the surgery also includes a nipple lift and areola reduction.

During the consultation with the doctor, each patient is carefully examined, her chest is measured and a basic assessment is given. In the breast reduction procedure at the Bagatin Polyclinic, we use a technique called vertical female breast reduction – mammoplasty.

Candidates for breast reduction surgery are healthy patients who have the following problems:

• Breasts too large for your body type
• Sagging breasts with taut skin
• Rashes and skin irritations under the breasts
• Breast asymmetry where one breast is larger than the other breast
• Large breasts that cause problems with physical activities
• Chronic back and neck pain

Although breast reduction can be done at any age, it is recommended to wait until the breasts are fully developed before having this procedure.

During consultations at the Bagatin Polyclinic, it is advisable for the patient to openly discuss her expectations with the doctor. Based on the problems and wishes, the doctor will provide the best possible solution so that the patient is happy with the result.

Also, the doctor will refer the patient to the necessary tests before the surgery to avoid any possible risks during the surgery.

In addition to the tests that need to be performed (such as a breast ultrasound), the following is recommended:

• Quit smoking four to six weeks before the procedure.
• Two weeks before the procedure, stop taking aspirin, herbal preparations or any other supplements and certain medications that prevent inflammation, as their content can cause bleeding.
• 12 to 24 hours before the procedure, wash the part of the body that will undergo the procedure (in this case, the breasts) with antibacterial soap. This procedure should be repeated the evening before the procedure and the morning of the procedure.
• Eight hours before the surgery, you must not consume any liquids or food, remove all jewelry, and remove nail polish from your hands and feet.

Breast reduction surgery involves reducing breast tissue, reshaping and lifting glandular tissue, and correcting the position of the nipple and areola to achieve the desired result.

Depending on the patient’s problem, an incision is made, after which excess tissue, skin, and fat are removed in order to reduce breast volume.

Most often, an inverted T incision or a vertical incision is performed. The incisions are closed with stitches that are placed under the skin, and the stitches are self-dissolving and do not need to be done.

The postoperative scar looks like an anchor, meaning it is located around the nipple and downwards, to the inframammary line and horizontally in the inframammary line.

Breast reduction surgery takes four to six hours and is performed under general anesthesia, with the patient staying in the Polyclinic overnight. You can read all about general anesthesia here .