Patients with excessively large breasts want to get rid of this problem both for health reasons and to have beautiful looking breasts. Excessive breast size changes the body's center of gravity, creates a load on the neck, back vertebrae and shoulders, disrupts the posture and leads to degeneration. As a result, pain occurs in the neck, back, waist, shoulders, head and the breast itself. It causes numbness and loss of strength in the forearm and inner side of the hand, causing ulnar nerve compression. In addition, due to excessive sweating and friction under the breast due to a large breast, the skin structure deteriorates and bad-smelling infections occur. Excessive breast size also causes sagging. In this sense, breast reduction surgery is one of the surgeries that pleases patients the most in terms of both health and beauty. After the surgery, patients say that they feel like a heavy burden has been lifted from them.

How is breast reduction surgery performed?

      The surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The method may vary depending on how large a breast the patient wants. An incision is made around the nipple and extending from there to the submammary groove below, removing excess breast and fatty tissue along with excess skin. Sometimes this incision is made to include the submammary groove. In addition, the area extending below the armpits and excess fatty tissue in the breast are removed from the body with liposuction, contributing to the shaping of the breast. How much breast tissue will be left is determined according to the patient's age and whether or not they will breastfeed in the future, as well as the plan made before the surgery. What needs to be known here is that there will definitely be a scar in the form of a line after breast reduction surgery. This scar, which is redder at first, will return to normal skin color and become invisible within a year. With this surgery, the breast is both reduced, its fullness and shape are corrected, and the nipples are brought to their ideal position.

Is it possible to breastfeed after breast reduction surgery?

      Apart from the method used in patients who do not have concerns about breastfeeding and whose breasts are extremely large, milk production and breastfeeding functions are largely preserved in reduction surgeries performed with other methods.

How much can breasts be reduced?

      It can be reduced as much as the patient desires. In this regard, your doctor's recommendations are very important in providing a size according to the shape of the body.

Can breast size differences and asymmetry be corrected?

      With this surgery, existing asymmetries can be corrected. However, it is important to remember a very important saying on this subject; ‘breasts are not twins, they are sisters’. 

What is the process like after the surgery?

      There will be pain after the surgery that can be relieved with simple painkillers. There are usually drains in both breasts that will remain for 1 or a few days to prevent blood accumulation under the skin. The stitches are closed with a special tape. These tapes are changed every 5-7 days and since dissolvable stitches are used, there is no need to remove the stitches or make a dressing. You can take a shower the next day after leaving the hospital. A special bra is used for about 1 month after the surgery.

Will there be any changes in the breasts after reduction surgery?

      After breast reduction surgery, excessive weight gain and loss or breast enlargement, shrinkage or sagging may occur in the long term after breastfeeding. The most important factor that will prevent deformations that may occur in the future is that patients are close to their ideal weight before surgery and do not gain and lose weight frequently.

What is the relationship between breast reduction surgery and breast cancer?

      There are many publications showing that the risk of breast cancer increases in patients with macromastia, i.e. excessively large breasts. Since a portion of the breast tissue is also removed during breast reduction surgery, the risk of breast cancer decreases relatively. In patients over the age of 40 who will undergo breast reduction, an ultrasound and mammography should be performed before the surgery. According to the results of these tests, if there is a lesion that needs to be removed in the breast, this can be removed with surgery and a possible problem can be detected in advance. In addition, with the surgery called ‘preventive mastectomy’, the risk of breast cancer is eliminated to a very large extent (according to some publications, 90-99%) by removing all breast tissue except the nipple and replacing it with a prosthesis in patients with a high risk of breast cancer.

What kind of problems may develop after breast reduction surgery?

      The main complications specific to this surgery are blood accumulation under the skin called hematoma, opening at the suture junction due to wound healing disorder and infections. The occurrence of these problems is minimized with the use of drains, appropriate technique selection and antibiotic use. Although scarring at the suture sites can be prevented by preventing tension, it varies from patient to patient depending on genetic characteristics. Circulatory disorders due to insufficient blood supply to the nipples usually resolve on their own, but may require a second minor operation. Hardness in the breast tissue that may occur within a few months after surgery may occur due to compression in the fatty tissue and circulatory disorders and usually resolve on their own within 1 year. Loss of sensation in the nipple is not expected, but if it occurs, it largely returns within 6-12 months. Asymmetries may occur between the breasts. Early asymmetries usually resolve on their own within 3 months. If they are disturbing in the long term, a second procedure may be needed.