Women with heavy, pendulous breasts often suffer from back and shoulder pain, chronic irritation of the skin beneath the breasts and shoulder grooves from bra straps. Social embarrassment and mental anguish can be especially painful for young girls.
Breast reduction surgery can solve these problems. Excess skin and breast tissue are removed, and the smaller breasts are reshaped. Surgery usually lasts three to four hours.
Temporary soreness and discomfort following surgery can be relieved with medication. We generally remove stitches in stages during the next ten days, leaving a scar in the shape of an inverted "T" on the lower part of the breast which will gradually fade and become less noticeable.
In rare cases, infection or healing problems can lead to widening of scars and partial or complete loss of the nipple and areola. Depending on the technique used, nipple sensation may be reduced and breast feeding may not be possible.
