My Plastic Surgery Group

Breast Reduction

About Breast Reduction Surgery

Having very large breasts can be considerably painful. At My Plastic Surgery Group, we understand that most often, breast reduction surgery can be a choice for pain relief or cosmetic reasons. Breast reduction, also known as mammoplasty, is an outpatient procedure to remove excess breast fat, glandular tissue and skin for better body proportion. Large, heavy breasts can do long-term damage to your back and shoulder area. Most women who have suffered from this type of tension, strain and back pain have been rewarded with much relief after deciding to undergo breast reduction surgery.

Breast Reduction Before & After

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Real Results

View before-and-after pictures of real patients of My Plastic Surgery Group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A central feature of breast reduction surgery is lifting the breast tissue upward. This maintains the ideal aesthetics of your breasts. Over time, the nipple will maintain its higher position.

Yes. Nicotine use of any type will cause the tiny, fragile blood vessels in the skin to constrict, cutting off valuable nutrition in the skin, possibly resulting in death of skin or nipple. Nicotine use of any kind must be stopped at least 8 weeks prior to breast reduction surgery.

Although not all women can breast feed, regardless of having surgery, the majority of women are still able to breast feed after having breast reduction surgery. If, however, the technique referred to as “free nipple grafting” is required (uncommon), there will be a loss in the ability to breast feed. This will be discussed at a consultation with your doctor.

If you plan to get pregnant and breastfeed within a year or two, it is important to consider delaying the procedure until after you finish the breastfeeding process.

There will be changes in the appearance of your breast on a mammogram following surgery. Typically these changes do not interfere with the ability to detect cancer.

It is important to share and discuss with your surgeon what your size targets are. Although we cannot guarantee a specific bra size result, any requests and desires you can share with us before breast reduction will be very helpful.

Following breast reduction surgery, your breasts may continue to change size as triggered by weight changes or by female hormone levels.

Some patients lose nipple sensation. Thankfully, most will preserve it. This will also be discussed at a consultation with your doctor. Your plastic surgeon will recommend the ideal treatment plan to achieve your goals while minimizing the chance of this issue.

No. On the contrary. There is evidence to suggest that one’s risk of breast cancer development may actually be reduced by undergoing breast reduction surgery. Our procedures are designed to prioritize the safety and health of our patients while achieving their goals.

Although people vary in their general health, healing abilities and pain thresholds, the majority describe pain requiring medication for 1-2 weeks. Swelling for 6-8 weeks is common, but it is very possible for you to return to normal activities and work within 1 week following breast reduction surgery.

It is important to follow your plastic surgeon’s aftercare instructions as closely as possible throughout the recovery process. Do not rush into doing strenuous physical activities until you are cleared to safely resume them. All medications must be taken according to the prescriptions.

A follow-up appointment with your surgeon will be scheduled to ensure that your healing process is going as planned. During this appointment, the incisions will be examined and sutures will be removed.

The cost of breast reduction surgery will depend on the details of the treatment plan. The overall price may be affected by the techniques used during the procedure, along with the amount of work necessary to achieve the patient’s goals. Anesthesia fees may also affect the overall cost of the surgery.

Breast Reduction Procedure Information

Breast reduction, also known as mammoplasty, is an outpatient procedure to remove breast skin, glandular tissue and breast fat through surgical incisions on the breast. The incisions circle the areola and proceed vertically down the lower breast crease and horizontally along the fold. Once the incisions are made, breast tissue is reduced, shaped and lifted, and the nipple is repositioned. The scars of breast reduction surgery are permanent and visible, but will fade significantly over time. Your result is a much lighter, raised, smaller breast.
Most commonly those patients who have chosen to have breast reduction surgery have experienced painful symptoms such as upper back, neck and shoulder pain for years due to their large breasts. Some have bra strap grooving as well as postural changes and rashes beneath the folds. Other than those problems, you should be in good general health before considering breast reduction surgery.
After surgery, you will awaken with a bra already in place. You may or may not have drains. If you do, it should only be for a day or two. There is slight discomfort involved with a breast reduction, however we put no activity restrictions on our patients following this surgery. It is safe to shower the day after surgery. These topics, as well as many others, will be discussed with you during your personal consultation with the plastic surgeon.

We invite and encourage you to view the before and after breast reduction pictures on this website.

Meet Dr. Aker

Dr. Aker, an Indianapolis plastic surgeon affiliated with several area hospitals, has lectured and is published widely on a variety of plastic surgery topics. Dr. Aker brought several new techniques in cosmetic surgery to Indianapolis and Carmel including the endoscopic breast augmentation (“endo aug”) and Asian eyelid surgery.

Meet Dr. Beckman

After receiving her medical degree with honors, Dr. Beckman was selected for a highly competitive integrated plastic surgery residency position at Rutgers University, where she rigorously trained in both aesthetic and complex reconstructive plastic surgery for six years. During residency, she developed a strong passion for plastic surgery education and research. She earned several teaching and clinical excellence awards and served as Chief Resident in her final year.

After residency, Dr. Beckman was selected for an aesthetic plastic surgery fellowship position at H/K/B Cosmetic Surgery, one of the nation’s premier aesthetic plastic surgery practices. This additional year gives her the unique opportunity to learn from some of the most recognized names in aesthetic plastic surgery and to train with the most innovative procedures and products available.

Related Procedures

Breast Lift

Breast Augmentation

Gynecomastia

Liposuction

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