Breast Reduction St. Louis

A New, Lighter You.

Many women suffer from the effects of having breasts that are too large. This can include upper back and neck pains, shoulder strap grooving, and rashes under the breasts. Sometimes the extra weight of the breasts causes heaviness and a tugging sensation on the chest. Clothes and bras are hard to find that fit right.

If this sounds too familiar, you may be a candidate for breast reduction. During this surgery, the nipple is moved back to a more youthful position on the chest, and the excess breast tissue is removed. The remaining breast is then reshaped, giving a much more normal, frame fitting, and lighter breast. Many women feel a significant reduction or resolution of their preoperative symptoms immediately, even the night of the surgery. In fact, breast reduction surgery has one of the highest patient satisfaction rates in all of plastic surgery.

During your consultation, your surgeon will discuss your current and desired breast size, symptoms, prior breast procedures, and medical history. They will take specific measurements that help guide which breast reduction technique will be optimal for you. Photographs will be taken for your medical record. Your surgeon may recommend physical therapy for posture exercises and strengthening if deemed beneficial. Many patients find breast reductions are no longer covered by their insurance, but still choose to proceed as a cosmetic investment for the tangible benefits. Patients are encouraged to check with their insurance plan to see if this may be a covered benefit.

QUICK FACTS:

  • Length: 3 – 4.5hrs
  • Anesthesia: General
  • Overnight stay or Outpatient, same day surgery
  • Recovery: 1-2 weeks
  • Side Effects: Bruising, swelling, numbness, asymmetries.

BREAST REDUCTION CAN:

  • Decrease the weight of the breasts
  • Relieve upper back, neck, and shoulder pains
  • Decrease under-breast rashes
  • Improve breast appearance and patient confidence
  • Correct breast asymmetries

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Before & After

Patient #834

Before:
Breast Reduction
After:
Breast Reduction

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PREPARING FOR BREAST REDUCTION

Smoking and all forms of nicotine should be stopped at least 4 weeks prior to any breast reduction. This includes e-cigarettes, patches, and gum.

Any medications and supplements which cause an increased risk of bleeding should also be stopped 2 weeks prior to any major surgery. Please see our list of medications and supplements to avoid. As always, make sure to check with your doctor before stopping any medications.

Medications to Avoid

BREAST REDUCTION TECHINQUE:

In the preoperative area, your surgeon will place detailed surgical markings on your breasts for the new nipple location and areas of tissue removal and reshaping. This is accomplished in one of 3 main techniques:

Vertical Scar, Medial Pedicle Breast Reduction:

Our surgeons use this technique for small to medium-sized reductions that do not require large amounts of skin removal. This technique uses the remaining breast tissue for nipple support and delivers an excellent shape, projection, and longevity to the final breast appearance. Liposuction may be used for sculpting the outer breast tissue. The final lollipop-shaped scars are shorter than other techniques, limited around the areola and vertically from the nipple down to the breast fold.

Wise-Pattern, Inferior Pedicle Reduction:

This reduction approach is considered one of the most reliable plastic surgery procedures. Our surgeons use this technique for larger volume breast reductions that have too much excess skin to reliably retract with a shorter scar technique. Final scars heal in an anchor pattern along the breast fold, and a lollipop-shaped around the nipple

Free-nipple Breast Reduction:

Our surgeons use this technique for women suffering from extremely large breasts. The nipple and the inferior portion of the breast are removed. The remaining upper breast tissue is reshaped and the nipple is sutured back on the breast as a skin graft. This allows a large volume of excess tissue to be removed while creating a very pleasing, projecting breast shape that will last.

During the operation, your surgeon will remove the excess breast tissue and reshape your breast tissue. The breast tissues will be meticulously closed with special absorbable sutures. A medical skin glue will be placed on top of this to seal out bacteria and make the breasts waterproof so that you can shower the next day. Thin surgical drain tubes may or may not be placed to help remove any fluid during your healing process. You will be placed in a postoperative bra that will need to be worn at all times other than bathing for the first 6 weeks to help support the breasts while they heal.

RECOVERY FROM BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY

Breast reduction surgery is performed on an outpatient basis or with an overnight stay. Patients will have some discomfort, but typically this procedure is not overly painful. In fact, most women tell us they feel much better already the night of their surgery. Women can usually shower the following day. Drainage tubes (if used) are typically removed within 5-7 days when the daily fluid output has decreased to acceptable levels. Plan to take 1-2 weeks off of work. Light exercise can typically be resumed in 2-3 weeks, with a return to full activities in 4-6 weeks. It takes a little time for the breast tissues to settle in and the swelling to go down. Most women will see final results in 2-4 months. Our surgeons use special plastic surgery techniques to keep your scars as faint and thin as possible. Most remain quite hidden and fade well within 1 year with ongoing good scar care.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A: Sometimes. Patients will need to check with their own insurance company and particular plan to see if this is a possibility. If it is a benefit, have a referral sent from your primary care physician and contact Chesterfield Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at (314) 205-6420 to schedule your consultation. After your evaluation, your surgeon will need to send a letter to your insurance company including your height, weight, BMI, breast measurements, photographs, and clinical evaluation in order to obtain insurance approval. Each insurance company and plan has different criteria and may approve the procedure, deny the procedure, or request maximizing other conservative measures first (physical therapy, creams, weight loss, etc.).
A: Most average breast reductions remove 600-1000 grams of breast tissue per side. This equates to 1-2 pounds from each breast.
A: Breast reduction surgery has one of the most positive patient scores and postoperative satisfaction. Many women do experience relief of most if not all of their symptoms starting the night of the surgery. However, individual results will vary, and other causes of back pain including spinal issues, fibromyalgia, injuries, etc. will not be affected.

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BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY

Medial Pedicle, Vertical Scar Technique

**Warning. Graphic content. This video is of an actual surgery and is intended for educational purposes.**