Breast Reduction - surgery offers tremendous health benefits but can also provide cosmetic advantages for women with overly developed breasts.

A breast reduction will lift your breasts so that they sit up higher on your chest with your nipples positioned where they should be.  In addition to lifting the breasts and removing excess tissue, breast reductions can also enhance the shape of your breasts and balance out asymmetrical breasts if they are not equal in size.

Reasons for Considering Breast Reduction Surgery:
Prevent back, neck and/or shoulder pain.
Make sleeping easier.
Enhance self esteem for women who are self-conscious or insecure.
Help with skin issues and shoulder grooving.

Best Candidates for Breast Reduction Surgery:
The best candidates for Breast Reduction Surgery are healthy women who have overly developed breasts that cause undesirable health conditions such as back, neck or shoulder pain.  Ideal patients will want to decrease their breasts by at minimum of 2 cup sizes.  In some cases, breast reduction surgery may be covered in part by your health insurance.  You may also want to wait until after you are finished having children before undergoing a breast reduction surgery.

General Procedure:
Breast reduction surgery is outpatient and will be performed under general anesthesia.  There are many methods of breast reduction surgery and Dr. Varon can discuss which options are suitable for you during your initial consultation.  He will also take the time to educate you on the selected method so that you can understand why it has been chosen.

Before surgery you are placed on general anesthesia.  Incisions are made around the areola and the nipples are re-positioned and reduced, if necessary.  Next, underlying breast tissue is reduced and the breasts are lifted and shaped.  Depending on individual breast shapes, sometimes longer incisions need to be made down the middle of the breast to achieve the lift.  These incision lines are visible and permanent scars but are usually well concealed in a bra or swimsuit and will fade in time.

Breast Reduction surgery will take about two to five hours.  After the breasts are lifted and shaped, the incisions are closed and sutures are layered deep in the breast tissue.  Your breasts will be wrapped in a special gauze and you will be placed in a surgical bra.  Dr. Varon will usually use stitches that will dissolve on their own over time.

Recovery Process:
Generally, post-operative instructions call for plenty of rest and limited movement in order to speed up the healing process and recovery time.  A surgical bra will need to be worn for a few weeks.  Results from the surgery are immediately visible and swelling will resolve over several weeks after the procedure.  You will need someone to drive you home and stay with you for a few days following surgery to help you with basic needs.  Patients sometimes report some pain associated with the surgery.  This pain can be treated effectively with oral medication.  Most patients are back to work in one to two weeks.  You will need to wait at least 4 weeks before exercising or heavy lifting.  While complications are rare, patients can minimize potential problems by carefully following the directions given by Dr. Varon after surgery.