Breast Reduction: Info, Prices, Photos, Reviews, Q&A

Breast reductions remain one of the most popular procedures in plastic surgery because they address physical and psychological concerns.

Most women with excessively large breasts have neck, back and shoulder pain, painful grooves in their shoulder area, rashes under their breast, frequent headaches, difficulty with exercise and running, difficulty finding clothes to wear and teasing.

A breast reduction procedure addresses all of those symptoms and lifts the breasts making them perkier and yes, still full. Some insurance carriers still cover this procedure, ask your plastic surgeon to submit a pre authorization letter to see if this is a covered procedure. (David Finkle, MD, Omaha Plastic Surgeon)

Breast appearance after a reduction

The appearance of your breasts after a reduction surgery will largely depend on the technique that was used for the surgery. In our practice, approximately 95% of our breast lift or breast reduction patients have their surgery through a periareolar scar or a lollipop incision.

This allows us to thoroughly shape the breast and to build a breast from the inside out. With suture techniques, we can reshape the breast mound to create a more pleasing appearance and a longer-lasting result.

The excess skin is then removed from the lower part of the breast where the lollipop incision is placed and is very easy to conceal. (Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

Breast reduction is a tremendously popular procedure becuase it helps women decrease chronic breast, neck, back and shoulder pain while rejuvenating their breasts. The great majority of patients are highly satisfied after this procedure.

In many cases, this procedure is “medically necessary” and will be covered by insurance. However, that does not mean that you cannot be very open with your plastic surgeon and let them know what size you would like to be postoperatively and what breast shape you find most attractive.

Just because your procedure is covered by insurance, you should not feel that you cannot ask your doctor about the cosmesis you desire.

Fullness is possible! Ask your plastic surgeon about the technique they prefer and why… and how you may keep the fullness that you have now while reducing the volume and improving your comfort! (Tara L. Huston, MD, Stony Brook Plastic Surgeon)

Fullness is an important part of beautiful breasts. My preference for retaining breast fullness is to use the superior or medial pedicle technique of breast reduction. I find that this method is more reliable for retaining upper-breast fullness.

An added benefit is that usually this can be done with a “lollipop” incision. With this incision, the scar is around the areola and down to the fold. This avoids the full “anchor-shaped” scar, which can be visible at the beach when you’re wearing a bikini. (James N. Romanelli, MD, FACS, Long Island Plastic Surgeon)

Breast reduction techniques that result in full breast shape

There are a variety of breast reduction techniques that can maintain the fullness. They key to a nice breast reduction is removing breast tissue that is not ‘helping’ the shape of your breast, which is typically in the lower pole of the breast.

Preserving the breast tissue that you already have in the middle and upper poles of your breast will result in a full and lifted breast reduction result. (Scott C. Sattler, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

Factors that Effect Breast Fullness in a Reduction

There are a few factors that determine the fullness after breast reduction. One is what you start with. If you have a rounded profile to the top of your breasts when looking from the side, even if they do not feel full, you are likely to get fullness in the upper breast after a reduction IF modern techniques are used.

There are many ways to reduce a breast. The older techniques use an anchor scar and rely on the skin to hold the breast in a good shape. This often lasts a year or two then the breast tissue begins to stretch the skin and the fullness disappears to the bottom of the breast.

With newer techniques, the breast tissue itself is modified and shaped into a smaller but more pleasing shape, providing a lift to both the breast tissue and the nipple. The end result is a lasting shape.(Jeremy Pyle, MD, Raleigh-Durham Plastic Surgeon)

Fullness after breast reduction

Fullness after breast reduction can be achieved with the proper technique. Depending on the amount of tissue removed, the location in the breast from which the tissue is removed, and the reshaping of the skin of the breast, beautiful results can be achieved.

All of this comes with technical skill, experience, and proper training. (Gary Lawton, MD, FACS, San Antonio Plastic Surgeon)

Retaining shape with breast Reduction

You should be able to retain the fullness of your breast shape with a reduction in their volume. Convey your wishes clearly to your plastic surgeon and they will choose the technique they feel best to achieve that outcome. (Kevin Ho, MBBS, FRACS, Sydney Plastic Surgeon)

Breast fullness is able to be maintained following breast reduction. The upper part of the chest has very little breast tissue, however, and this will be the case after breast reduction. Speak to your plastic surgeon about how small (or large) you want to be after surgery.

While a certain amount of tissue must be removed for insurance purposes, there is some leeway, especially if you have very large breasts. (Adam J. Oppenheimer, MD, Orlando Plastic Surgeon)

Fullness after breast reduction depends on technique and the fullness the breasts have prior to surgery. Some women have very deflated breast particularly after substantial weight loss. Those women may not have a great deal of fullness after breast reduction.

However, I’ve seen women who have very dense breast and fullness like you appear to have postoperatively have fullness particularly after the vertical (keyhole) technique. (Quintessa Miller, MD, FACS, Fort Walton Beach Plastic Surgeon)

Surgeon technique has a large impact on determining the upper pole fullness following a breast reduction. Choose the best surgeon you can find to achieve the results you desire. (David Stoker, MD, Los Angeles Plastic Surgeon)

Breast reduction should not alter the fullness

A successful breast reduction should not alter the fullness of your breasts, just the size. Consider discussing with your doctor the type of technique that will be used since there are two approaches to breast reduction surgery: the T long scar technique and the short scar technique.

The T long scar technique is normally preferred for larger breast reductions, but there has been a gradual shift in the ability to perform large breast reductions with the short scar technique as well. Advantages of the short scar technique include reduced scar length and enhanced shape preservation, so although your breast will be smaller in size, the shape and fullness of your breasts should be preserved. (Norman G. Morrison, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Maintaining fullness

Your surgeon can help you retain the fullness of your breasts, however it depends on how much tissue is removed. You can also consider a lift performed at the same time. (Michael Constantin Gartner, DO, Paramus Plastic Surgeon)

Your expectations of the result of your breast reduction is extremely important for you to discuss with your plastic surgeon as he has examined you and knows the technique he will use. (Fred Suess, MD (retired), San Francisco Plastic Surgeon)

You can still have full breasts after breast reduction

It is entirely possible to have full breasts after breast reduction. I have found that a lot of this is technique-dependent, meaning that depending upon how the surgeon plans and carries out the procedure, you will have fuller breasts or not so full breasts.

In particular, care must be taken to design the removal of the volume in such a way that the tissue left behind is distributed optimally to maintain a full breast shape. For me this means that I am careful about removing tissue above the region where the nipple will go, so that I am sure to maintain maximum fullness at the top of the breast.

Then, once things settle, like they always do after surgery, they won’t be so “bottom heavy,” and they will retain a nice full shape. (Joseph L. Grzeskiewicz, MD, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Retaining fullness after breast reduction surgery.

Sometimes the size of reduction is determined by your insurance carrier. So if you want something different it is important to communicate to your plastic surgeon what your expectations are regarding the appearance of your breasts after the operation.

Even after your breast reduction, your breasts do not have to be small, although they will certainly be smaller than they are now. How small and what the resultant shape will end up like should be discussed in the preoperative planning process.

While every plastic surgeon does their best to achieve those preoperative goals, you have to realize that they are not always attained. (Michael A. Epstein, MD, FACS, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Your preoperative planning with your plastic surgeon should include the desired size and fullness to be achieved in surgery. The goal of the breast reduction surgery is to remove the excess breast tissue and skin and give a new breast with a natural appearance (including fullness). (Paul Vitenas, Jr., MD, Houston Plastic Surgeon)

Breast reduction results will depend in part on your plastic surgeon

There are many different kinds of bodies and breast shapes and therefore some of the potential results depends on what you start off with. The other side of that coin is that the type of breast reduction procedure that you undergo will also impact your results.

The most important part of this will depend on how much tissue is removed and the ratio of skin and fat that is left behind. Obviously, regardless of how much tissue is removed if the skin envelope is appropriate for the volume left behind the “fullness” will be present.

Upper pole fullness will never really be as good as an implant and that will be good to keep in mind. (Remus Repta, MD, Scottsdale Plastic Surgeon)

In general, a lot of fullness can be maintained with a breast reduction, but it depends on what you look like and what you want from this surgery in terms of final size.

These are things you’ll need to discuss with your PS and make sure that your expectations are realistic. As with any other procedure you should not, of course, proceed unless they are. But in a general sense, a lot of fullness can be maintained with this surgery. (Alan M. Engler, MD, FACS, New York Plastic Surgeon)

After a breast reduction your breasts should remain full if your surgeon does a lift with his/her breast reduction procedure. A lift is usually performed in conjunction with a breast reduction. Most patients have the same if not more fullness after a breast reduction even though the breasts are smaller. (D`Arcy Honeycutt, MD, Bismarck Plastic Surgeon)

Staying “Full” after Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast Reduction surgery will not only reduce the size of breasts, place the nipple/areola in a better position on your breast mound but also make your breasts more “perky”. Yes, you should be able to retain that fullness you like.

I would suggest you discuss this with your surgeon and take in photos of what you would like to achieve so that he has a good idea of your goals. There are different techniques for breast reduction surgery and so make sure your surgeon has experience with this surgery and is a board certified plastic surgeon.(Tom J. Pousti, MD, FACS, San Diego Plastic Surgeon)

Maintaining breast fullness with breast reduction

To some degree, residual fullness after breast redcution may be a function of where the vascular pedicle is located. In those techniques which a superior pedicle is mainatined, it is more likely that you will preserve the fullness you currently exhibit. (Otto Joseph Placik, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)