Breast Reduction

(Reduction Mammaplasty)

Indication
Mastoplasty reduction surgery aims to improve the shape and / or decrease the volume of the breasts.

Surgery
The patient is admitted to the hospital the day of surgery and is operation last most of the morning. After a rigorous verification of preoperative tests by the team of Dr. Marcus Aurelius, surgery starts preferably under local anesthesia and sedation, but epidural or general anesthesia can also be used. The procedure always takes place with constant watch of an anesthetisiologist and lasts about three to four hours. There is no need for hospitalization and patients can return home the same day of surgery. The first check up typically occurs within three to four days, where the dressings are changed and the patient is told to use a seamless brassiere for two months.

Breast reduction surgery, while involving a scar greater than liposuction, for example, is not a painful procedure. By contrast, more than 90% of patients report no pain after mastoplasty reduction.

Recommendations for breast reduction surgery:

Pre-operation
• Avoid smoking two weeks before and after surgery (important for healing);
• Comply with instructions given for admission; - absolute fasting for eight hours starting at midnight on the day of surgery;
-Coming together to the hospital, avoiding the use of earrings, rings, piercings, colored nail polish and makeup;
-Report any abnormalities that may occur in relation to your general condition;
Post-operation
•Sleep on your back during the first few months after breast reduction; • Do not go to the gym and or carry weight in the first thirty days;
•Do not stay in very hot places, avoid cooking so that the breasts do not swell much;
•Do not raise your arms for three weeks (the elbow can be erected only to shoulder height)
•No driving for three weeks;
•Do not expose yourself to sunlight for three months after the reductive mastoplasty; •Avoid wetting the dressing until it is allowed.

>> FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you breastfeed normally after breast reduction surgery?
In most cases yes. Exception to this rule are the breasts that the nipples are very low and they have to be almost 10cm high. In these cases, just over 50% of ducts are severed, which may reduce the ability to nurse, as well as in cases of areola free graft, where 100% of the ducts are severed.

Is the sensitivity of the areola is affected by breast reduction?
Generally, no. As in the previous question, only in cases of very low nipples may be a decrease in sensitivity.

How soon will I see results?
Soon after surgery, the breasts become swollen and wrinkled, restoring its normal anatomy over time. With three months, we can see about 80% of the final result, when we take photos of the postoperative period. The remaining 20% will appear over the 4-6 months.

What is the progression of the scars after this type of surgery?
In general, the scars are thin during the few first months, becoming red, clear and slightly higher up to 60 days surgery. After this time the scars will lower, and clear up after 12 to 18 months. During the process Dr. Marco Aurelio accompanies the process of healing of each patient closely, and should the need arise, use some of the alternatives to improve the scars that eventually escape the pattern, suggesting an individualized treatment for each case.