Breast Reduction Brisbane

Breast reduction is one of the most rewarding procedures we offer here at Brisbane Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery. It is a medical procedure involving the removal of excess breast tissue and skin. There are many reasons women might want this surgery. The main motivation for patients undergoing breast reduction is to alleviate the undesirable symptoms associated with oversized breasts. Such symptoms encompass physical, mental, and social aspects. Excessive breast tissue can be the catalyst for debilitating back and neck pain, general chronic pain in other areas of the body, mental and emotional stress, and inability to dress in normal clothes and engage in everyday activities and exercises.

What causes oversized breasts?

Breast size is determined by a unique mix of genetic and environmental factors. Hormonal changes during puberty can result in excessive tissue growth. Even down the track, hormonal changes during breast feeding and pregnancy can cause breast tissue to grow. For many patients of Dr. Richardson (Brisbane Plastic Surgeon), it has been said that even weight loss and exercise is unable to reduce the breasts effectively. As a result, many women opt for breast reduction surgery to alleviate the symptoms associated with their physical condition.

What does breast reduction involve?

Breast reduction surgery is an operation that should always be performed under general anaesthetic, in a fully-accredited hospital. The operation involves the excision and removal of excess breast skin, and tissue to reduce the size of the breasts. Simultaneously, the breasts lift to a perkier, more youthful position. Often, patients ask – what is the difference between a breast reduction and a breast lift? The two are very similar in nature. The main thing to remember? You cannot have a breast reduction without it inherently lifting the breasts at the same time. A breast lift is the excision and removal of excess skin only, so a reduction is almost exactly the same, with the only difference being excess tissue is also removed.

What are the different incisional techniques for breast reduction in Brisbane?

When performing a breast reduction, there are a number of different techniques available. These techniques will have varying effects on aesthetic outcomes and scarring. Dr. Philip Richardson favours the anchor pattern incision when conducting breast reduction surgery. The anchor pattern involves incision around the nipple, down the middle of the breast, and along the inframammary fold. This incisional technique minimises the visible scarring. At the same time, this technique also maximises the surgeon’s ability to manipulate the aesthetic outcome for the patient. While some other incisional approaches can result in less visible scarring such as the donut lift or lollipop lift, they do not allow for the same amount of breast tissue to be excised, and these techniques provide less control for the surgeon to shape the breast as desired.

How does breast reduction surgery work?

After excising the excess tissue and skin, the surgeon sutures the breasts. These sutures secure the remaining tissue and skin in its optimal position. The result? A perkier, more shapely breast for the patient. The vast majority of patients will have drains to prevent excessive fluid build-up in the breasts. The surgical drain is a bag or catchment device, connected to a long tube. This tube feeds through a small opening in the incision. The role of this device is to prevent post-operative complications associated with fluid including seroma – a collection of fluid that can be uncomfortable and sometimes cause scarring. Following the insertion of the drains, the patient will have dressings applied to the incision sites. Patients will also wear a bandage “boob tube” to facilitate compression. These bandages also help secure the drains in their desired position and prevent displacement.

What is breast reduction recovery like?

Breast reduction recovery will always vary between patients, but a standard timeframe for full recovery is 6 weeks, granted no rare complications occur. The day of surgery, patients will go home in their bandaging and surgical drains. They will also be still wearing their compression stockings. These compression stockings should be left on for 5-7 days following surgery to prevent complications such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots. The clinic nurse will call the patient the day following surgery to check how they are feeling. The nurse will ensure they are following the correct medication schedule, and check the patient’s drain levels. Once enough fluid drains from the breast, the surgeon will remove the patient’s drains.

At the 1 week mark, patients generally feel confident and able to resume light walking, driving, and other non-strenuous activities. At this point they will have stopped taking the pain medications, which will have a positive impact on their energy and mood. Patients in office jobs will be able to return to work.

Patients can get back into normal activities including strenuous exercise after 6 weeks. At this point, the patients scars will still be red, dark, or raised, and this can take many months combined with active treatment to improve. The shape and size of the breasts will have settled.

Is it possible for breast tissue to grow back after a breast reduction?

After a breast reduction in Brisbane, one of the main concerns patients have is the possibility that the breast tissue will grow back. The good news is, it’s very rare for this to occur unless the patient gains a considerable amount of weight, or experiences notable hormonal changes, likely associated with pregnancy and breast feeding. Even in these cases, this increase in size generally subsides once the patient stabilises their weight and their hormones regulate.            

Conclusion

Breast reduction is a rewarding procedure that can help improve quality of life for patients that suffer from excessively large breasts. If you are interested in a breast reduction in Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and beyond, contact Dr. Phil Richardson’s rooms today to organise an initial consultation.

Dr Philip Richardson is Brisbane’s best plastic surgeon, with over 19 years experience and 7,500 breast surgeries performed in the past decade. Dr Richardson specialises in breast augmentation, breast reduction Brisbane, breast implant revision, male breast reduction, breast lift, breast lift with implants, breast implant removal, and more. He services areas across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Far North Queensland, Townsville, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Cairns, and more.