BREAST REDUCTION
SURGERY
IN TURKEY
Breast reduction surgery is not just a cosmetic surgery. Most of the women who complain of breast size suffer from back and shoulder pain, curvature that starts in the back vertebrae, and diaper rash under the chest in summer. In this way, excessively large breasts cause physical discomfort as well as affect patients mentally. It is an operation where patient satisfaction is very high. In fact, most of the patients state that their only regret is not having an operation before.
WHAT IS BREAST REDUCTION
SURGERY?
Breast is very important for a woman to feel self-confident. Many women find it difficult to find underwear due to their breast size. Wearing tight bras to try to gather the breasts can cause permanent scars and dimples on the shoulders. The size of your breast tissue can make you look heavier than you are. Do sports etc. It can affect many of your social activities.
Your large breasts may cause some deformations in your body. Some of those;
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Bra hook trace on your shoulders due to the tightening of the bra to gather the breast
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Due to the size of the breast, bending forward in the shoulders, bending in the neck occurs and serious back pain occurs.
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In summer, especially under the breast, first redness and then diaper rash and fungal infections
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If you have symptoms such as numbness in the arms, you may be an ideal candidate for this surgery.
The most common factor in the formation of breast size is genetics. In addition, the problems in your large breasts may increase after frequent weight gain and loss, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Breast reduction surgery is performed with the aim of physical relaxation rather than cosmetic improvement. Most candidates for surgery have problems with very large, sagging breasts; activities were restricted and physical ailments occurred. In most of the cases, breast reduction surgery is not performed before the breast development is completed, but it can be performed at an earlier age if the size of the breasts has caused serious physical discomfort. The most suitable candidates for this surgery are people who have reached the maturity and maturity to fully understand the procedure and have realistic expectations.
HOW IS BREAST REDUCTION SURGERY PERFORMED?
Breast reduction surgery, which is performed by removing the fat tissue in the skin and breast, is a type of operation applied to people aged 20 and over, whose body development is completed. Breast reduction surgery, which requires completion of physical development as well as hormonal regulation, can be applied to people under this age only in the presence of medical necessity. Breast reduction surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The surgery is completed within 2.5 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the breast, using the lollipop incision and reverse T incision methods. In determining the method, parameters such as breast size, position of the nipple according to the breast fold, breast tissue, skin structure, distance between the nipple and shoulder and hip are taken into consideration. In the lollipop incision method, the circumference of the nipple is cut circularly and then the breast tissue and excess skin tissue are removed. The nipple can be moved upwards, if necessary, in the procedure performed by considering the physical appearance of the person. The skin is closed, taking care not to damage the milk ducts, and then a drain is placed in the area to accelerate the healing and discharge the accumulated blood in the breast, and the operation is completed. In the reverse T incision method, an incision in the form of an inverted T letter is made in the lower part of the breast. After the excess breast tissue and skin are removed, the operation is terminated as in the lollipop type incision method. After breast reduction surgery, the person must stay in the hospital for one day. After the drain is removed and the dressing is done, the patient is discharged. After the operation, control is made at the end of the 1st and 2nd week. During the control in the 2nd week, the stitches are removed and special creams are used to reduce the scars. Thanks to the special bra, the patient can return to his daily life after 1 week of home rest. However, it is recommended to wear a special bra similar to a sports bra for 6 weeks. Mild stinging and tingling may be felt in the breasts for 6 to 12 months after the operation. However, this feeling does not reduce the quality of life of the person.
COMPLICATIONS AND POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
The problems you may encounter after this surgery are very close to those of breast lift surgery and the risks are relatively higher. Chief among these is bleeding and infection, as in any surgery.
There is almost no chance of serious bleeding in this type of surgery. Bleeding may be in the form of blood accumulation, or “hematoma”, on one side of the breast. Your doctor may want to take you back to the operating room to clean this build-up and stop the bleeding, if it continues.
Likewise, a unilateral swelling around the fifth day after the operation may be a sign of infection. Again, the solution will be to clear the infection and of course antibiotic treatment.
Skin loss, although rare, is among the complications that can be seen. It usually appears in patients who smoke after surgery. Especially in surgeries where very large breasts are reduced, this risk increases. The skin becomes black and hard and may need to be dressed for a long time. One way to shorten this period is to clean the dead skin with a small intervention. The same skin problem can be seen on the nipple. After a period of dressing, such problems usually heal better than expected. Don't start smoking just because nothing will happen. Remember that the first two weeks after surgery are critical.
Wound healing problems are usually caused by the thick sutures used in surgery. They usually heal after a few days of dressing.
Asymmetry is among the problems that may be encountered after this surgery. Severe asymmetries may require retouching surgery. Of course, there is always the possibility that you will not like your breast shape as a result of this surgery. In this case, you have a chance for a second surgery. Usually, asymmetries are easy to correct. The most difficult to correct deformities are those in which the nipple is raised more than necessary.
BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY
Patients who decide to have surgery should also inform the doctor about their history and family history of breast cancer. These are surgeries performed in hospital conditions and performed under general anesthesia. It is completed in approximately 2 and a half 3 hours. Before the operation, the patient is checked for anesthesia by the anesthesiologist.
A number of tests are done. The result of the procedure performed after the operation is noticed the next day of the operation. This relief is immediately noticed in patients who physically feel heaviness in their back, such as back pain. If blood thinners are used before the surgery, the doctor will tell the patient to stop it.
It is recommended to rest at home for at least 3, optimally 7 days after breast reduction surgery. It is extremely important to use antibiotics and pain relievers prescribed by the physician in the specified dose and time after the operation. The use of sports bra, which does not put pressure on the breasts and prevents them from swinging, is also of great importance in reducing the amount of pain and shaping the breast. After the surgery, the physician determines the dressing days. Dressing on these dates accelerates healing while reducing the risk of possible infection. For about 4 weeks, heavy loads should not be carried, pushing and pulling movements should be avoided. Light exercise movements can only be done after the first month. Lifting weights and movements that force the arm and chest muscles should also be avoided. After breast reduction surgery, the breast tissue appears edematous and swollen. This swollen appearance decreases in about 3 to 4 weeks and it takes about 1 year for the breasts to regain their true appearance. After breast surgery, smoking and alcohol consumption should be stopped for at least one month for rapid healing of tissue and scarring. Since smoking and alcohol consumption affect cell regeneration, they also negatively affect the visibility of the surgical scar.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are Breast Reduction Rates?
In breast reduction operations; Shoulder width and chest circumference are the first criteria in determining breast proportion. Breast reduction surgery is performed to a certain extent, especially for young patients who are not married and have not given birth. The reason for this is that the breastfeeding functions of young patients are not destroyed.
When calculating breast reduction rates, the patient's breast analysis is performed. According to the size of the breast volume, the amount of excess tissue to be removed with the simulation technique is calculated and shown to the patient.
After obtaining the patient's consent, the method to be performed is determined. After determining the method, the necessary incisions are made according to how much breast tissue will be removed, the excess tissue is removed, and the operation is completed.
Can I Breastfeed After Breast Reduction Surgery?
Breast reduction surgery affects breastfeeding. The probability of breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery is 50%. In a study conducted on women with large breasts, no difference was found in the rate of breastfeeding between those who had breast reduction surgery and those who did not. You should also know that a significant portion of people with large breasts are not able to breastfeed, although they have not undergone surgery. However, if you have concerns, I recommend postponing your surgery until after you have children.
Is There Any Scar After Breast Reduction Surgery?
As in almost all operations, scars may remain on the skin after breast reduction surgery. The shape and size of the scar varies according to the technique used during the operation. In the lollipop type of operation, the surgical scar is less. The reason for this is that the amount of incision is small and the incision is around the nipple. In other words, the scar between the skin and the nipple is almost indistinguishable due to the color difference in this area. In the reverse T type surgery, the surgical scar is larger. The incision downwards from the nipple becomes less obvious by gaining skin color over time. The horizontal line at the fold point of the breast cannot be seen unless viewed from the opposite side. The scar of the operation also differs depending on how much the breast sagged or how much it wants to be reduced.
Are There Possible Solutions Without Surgery?
Unfortunately. There is no known method to recover sagging breasts yet. Do not think that the breasts are sagging due to weak chest muscles and that they will get erect with sports. Anatomically, the chest muscle and breast sagging have nothing to do with it. You can make many improvements in your body with sports, but breast lift is not one of them.
Why Do Breasts Sagging?
There could be many reasons for this. There is a decrease in breast tissue due to hormonal reasons due to aging. This causes the breast to empty and sag. Breastfeeding mothers are also more prone to sagging. When the breasts are full of milk, they enlarge and are discharged with breastfeeding. When this is repeated over and over, the breasts naturally sag. In addition, gravity pulls the breasts down, causing them to sag. In some cases, sagging begins at a very early age and is completely caused by the congenital weakness of the ligaments that carry the breast.
Does breast reduction surgery have an effect on breast cancer?
Since your existing breast tissue will decrease, you reduce the possibility of cancer formation. But you are not resetting the risk. Breast cancer can develop from your remaining breast tissue, so you should continue breast screening with ultrasound and mammography.
Will there be a lot of pain after breast reduction?
This operation is one of the operations that takes approximately 2 and a half to 3 hours. A drain is placed on the patient during the operation and the drain is removed when discharged. After the operation, the patient may have pain for the first day and for a day or two.
However, these pains are not very big pains that will disturb the patient. It can be easily passed with painkillers that the doctor will prescribe, and after the first 3 days, the patient's pain will be relieved and he will enter the healing process quickly.