Relief for Oversized Breasts
While there are hundreds of thousands of women who have surgery to get larger breasts every year, there are also tens of thousands who have the exact opposite desire. Breast reduction surgery is performed by Dr. David Allison to help reduce the physical and emotional discomforts that come with having extremely large breasts.
What a Breast Reduction Can Correct
Reducing the size of breasts can help alleviate:
- Chaffing under the breasts
- Headaches
- Back, neck and shoulder pain
- Poor posture
- Emotional distress
Breast Reduction Procedure
Dr. Allison uses the breast reduction procedure to remove excess fat, glandular breast tissue and skin in the breast area to shape a more proportionate silhouette. After the skin is tightened, the nipple may also need to be repositioned.
General anesthesia or intravenous sedation is administered prior to breast reduction surgery. An incision must be made on the breasts for this procedure. The type and size of incision will depend on the amount of breast tissue to be removed.
- Vertical incision that circles the areola and extends vertically to the fold of the breast
- Anchor incision that incorporates the vertical incision with an additional crescent-shaped incision for larger breasts
The incisions are closed with sutures. It may be recommended that a tube be temporarily inserted to allow excess fluid or blood to drain.
Breast Reduction Recovery
Full recovery from breast reduction surgery may take 1-2 weeks. For the first several weeks, you will experience swelling and bruising. Dr. Allison will provide strict post-op instructions for you to follow to help ensure a proper recovery. He will monitor your recovery at each post-op appointment.
- Wear a surgical bra
- Maintain good hygiene of your incision sites
- Use medical ointment as needed
- Avoid strenuous activity for several weeks
- Avoid lifting heavy objects for several weeks
- Take prescribed medication, if needed
- Stop smoking for at least 2-4 weeks
Risks of Breast Reduction
Like any surgical procedure, breast reduction surgery has potential risks and complications. You can minimize those risks by choosing an experienced board certified breast surgeon and following your doctor’s instructions. Risks can include
- Infection
- Skin discoloration
- Breast asymmetry
- Breast firmness
- Scarring
- Bleeding
- Sensation loss
- Pain
- Blood clots
- Anesthesia complications
- Reduced ability to breastfeed
If you have been suffering with the physical limitations and emotional distresses of oversized breasts, schedule a free Cosmetic Consultation to find out if breast reduction surgery in Northern Virginia is right for you.