At GraceMed we’ve encountered a number of women unhappy with their oversized, heavy breasts that cause significant pain. While most of these women are interested in traditional breast reduction surgery, some inquire about using liposuction to reduce the breasts.
At GraceMed we’ve encountered a number of women unhappy with their oversized, heavy breasts that cause significant pain. While most of these women are interested in traditional breast reduction surgery, some inquire about using liposuction to reduce the breasts. Since this is a question that has come up several times at his practice, our team thought it would be helpful to address via his blog.
A Liposuction procedure is rarely a good option for this
Not all women with large breasts would benefit from liposuction-based breast reduction. In fact, only a few do. Liposuction is only appropriate in cases where the breasts are composed predominantly of excess fat, and they do not sag significantly. Liposuction-based breast reduction does not have any effect on excess glandular tissue, so the presence of glandular tissue can cause this approach to fail.
Liposuction-based breast reduction also does not address breast sagging (a.k.a., ptosis), which many candidates are concerned about. The majority of breast reduction candidates need some degree of lifting, after the excess tissue has been removed, to improve the shape and position of the breasts. If not, the patient will likely be disappointed with leftover loose, hanging skin and the overall cosmetic outcomes of surgery.
The Traditional breast reduction procedure
Our GraceMed team of specialists can safely and effectively reduce the breasts using traditional surgical techniques. Sometimes, liposuction is folded into the standard reduction procedure, but it is not the only component of the operation.
The exact techniques used during breast reduction depend on the size of the breasts, their composition, desired size, and other factors. In general, excess glandular tissue is excised and fatty tissue is removed via liposuction. The remaining tissue is lifted higher on the chest and modified to create a perkier breast shape. The nipple-areolar complex is usually reduced in size and lifted higher on the breast mound. In some cases, the nipple and areola are detached from the breast and relocated, or they may remain tethered to the surrounding breast skin. Extra loose skin is removed and the remaining skin is wrapped tighter around the newly reshaped breast mound.
