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

No such thing as scarless breast reduction

The closest thing to scarless breast reduction is liposuction of the breast.

There are ways to minimize scars or place scars in “hidden” locations so that they are not noticable, but there is no such thing as scarless surgery.

The scars from liposuction are very small, and heal quite well, but this type of breast reduction is only indicated in carefully selected patients.

Patients who are good candidates for this are generally younger patients who have excellent skin elasticity and require small volume reductions.

This is because removing the fatty component of breast tissue will not address the excess skin and position of the nipple. Most patients who want a breast reduction also have excess skin and need a lift of the nipple areola complex and breast volume, and this will not be accomplished by liposuction.

The only way to avoid all scars is to avoid having surgery. Typically with breast reduction surgery you are trading scars for a better size, shape, weight, and relief of associated symptoms. I would advise consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to review your options and see what works best for you. (Anita Patel, MD, FACS, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless surgery does not exist

Scarless breast reduction surgery may be referring to liposuction of the breasts which would still have some scars associated with it, albeit very small and concealed. However, this procedure is only indicated in a very small percentage of patients and will have a minimal improvement on appearance.

If the only goal is to lighten a heavy breast that is in good aesthetic position with good skin tone then this may be useful. In general, techniques that remove skin and reposition breast tissue and move the nipple and areola are required to improve breast shape.

Incisions will be required and scars will develop. Thankfully, the breast skin typically heals very well with good plastic surgery technique regardless of skin color. A consultation with a board certified plastic surgeon will help you decide which procedure will give you the best possible results and meet your goals. (Sean A. Simon, MD, Miami Plastic Surgeon)

The scar war for breast reduction

Liposuction is the only scarless breast reduction and would only work in select patients.

In breast surgery, the key is shape versus scars. If scars are more important than shape, you might not wan to do surgery.

Most of my patients understand that surgery involves scars and are happy as long as they get a good shape. (Hisham Seify, MD, PhD, FACS, Orange County Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless breast reduction is a misstatement

You can’t always get what you want in this world, but if you try, sometimes you’ll get what you need. The most minimal incision for a breast reduction would be using a liposuction technique and I have reduced a full cup size or more in certain patients.

This procedure however, is not for everyone. It depends on the tone of your skin, the current shape of your breast and many other factors which should be discussed with your surgeon.

Don’t be too quick to compromise the result at the expense of smaller incisions. (Darrick E. Antell, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

There is no such thing as a scarless breast reduction

Liposuction of the breast will reduce the volume modestly, since breasts are not just made out of fat, but have glandular tissue that does not come out easily through liposuction.

The nipple will not be raised and the skin envelope will remain large. The results have to be tempered with a less than ideal breast shape. (Francisco Canales, MD, Santa Rosa Plastic Surgeon)

There really is no specific scarless breast reduction techniques. There are minimal scarring techniques. This can be accomplished with liposuction but will not raise the nipple or tighten the skin significantly. You can also have limites scar lifts using a lollipop type of incision. (Steven Wallach, MD, New York Plastic Surgeon)

Regarding any scarless procedure, I have to tell my patients that although they see the scar, it is not usually the most important part of the procedure. Like the proverbial tip of the iceberg, much of the important stuff lies underneath – removing the tissue safely and symmetrically, preserving the nerves to the nipple, stopping all the bleeding, and protecting vital structures.

Though there are scarless procedures, actually minimally invasive is the proper term – because if you enter through the skin you will leave a scar, although it may be tiny – the safest and most effective operations are generally though the open approach.

Remember, in many cases, a surgeon has more control and can see better through an open procedure.

I personally prefer an aesthetically placed incision that is hidden and meticuluously closed to promote minimal scarring to a scarless procedure, as I can perform the procedure to the patients satisifaction much more effectively. (Srdjan Ostric, MD, Chicago Plastic Surgeon)

Is “Scarless” Breast Reduction right for you…?

It would be possible for you have a non-invasive breast reduction with minimal scarring, if you were looking to possibly go down only one cup size and don’t need a lift of any kind.

Liposuction would be the procedure done to decrease the volume of the breast, possibly by one cup size, but it will not provide any type of lifting which is what most people need. Be sure to clearly discuss these options with your surgeon before undergoing your procedure. (Shain A. Cuber, MD, Edison Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless Breast Reduction? Maybe.

Other than weight loss, there are some very new techniques of fat reduction that use freezing or ultrasound. Their efficacy has not yet been reported in our leading and respected journals. I am not aware of their application to breast reduction; it is possible that these non-surgical techniques may apply to breast reduction, in the future; I can’t recommend them, at this time.

Liposuction would require 2 or more ~1/4-inch incisions in the breast creases and/or armpits Liposuction and non-surgical techniques do not address shaping or lift. They will deflate the breast to reduce size. (Paul C. Zwiebel, MD, Denver Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless breast reduction is a misnomer

The only way to do a scarless reduction of the breast is with liposuction. The problem is that in virtually all people with large breasts a lift is necessary and this can’t be done without scars and can’t be accomplished with liposuction alone.

Also, to do any reasonable amount of breast reduction, you will be left with excess skin and this needs to be removed with scars or you might actually look worse than before the reduction. (Richard P. Rand, MD, FACS, Seattle Plastic Surgeon)

There is no such procedure as “scarless” breast reduction. However, liposuction can be done in certain patients, as a form of breast reduction with very minimal scarring compared to traditional breast reduction incision. If you are young and have very dense, firm breasts, then liposuction of your breasts may not be an option.

If you have loose, sagging skin and a low nipple position, then liposuction will not be an option for you. Most patients do not meet the criteria for a liposuction-only breast reduction.

Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon to find out which procedure is best suited to your particular anatomy. (William Bruno, MD, Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon)

“Scarless breast reduction” means minimal scars using Liposuction

There is no such thing are truly scarless breast reduction. However, if liposuction is used, the scars are very small (a fraction of an inch) and can be hidden very nicely. Not everyone is a candidate for liposuction breast reduction.

The key is to know what this procedure can do for you and to make sure it will meet your expectations. Liposuction will minimize scars and reduce your breast size if you have a significant amount of fat in your breasts.

Usually, older women and those who have had children have more fat in their breasts and would probably have a more significant reduction. Your surgeon can guide you after examining you. Liposuction will NOT lift your breasts much or improve their shape.

If you just want to have smaller breasts so you can fit into your clothes better, then liposuction may be right for you. If you don’t need any or much lift, then lipsuction may be right for you.

If you need a lift or want a more lifted look with better shape, then liposuction will NOT do this for you. Speak with your plastic surgeon so he can clarify what liposuction breast reduction will and will not do for you and make sure it meets you expectations. (Parham Ganchi, PhD, MD, Wayne Plastic Surgeon)

A breast reduction has 3 goals: to remove the excess breast tissue, thereby reducing the weight of the breast shape, lift and contour the remaining breast tissue AND, elevate the nipple position on the breast.

There are very few cases where the nipple does not have to be elevated; in fact, I have never had one. In order to elevate the nipple and reshape the breast, there must be scars.

There is always a per-areolar and vertical scar and, usually, a least a short scar in the crease (in some cases this scar has to be fairly long). The only way to perform a scarless breast reduction is by liposuction.

While liposuction can, in some cases, reduce the breast volume, it does not address the other 2 goals of breast reduction-to lift and contour the remaining breast and to re-position the nipple. For this reason, many surgeons do not favor liposuction alone as a method of breast reduction.

The shape, contour and nipple position are usually not aesthetically pleasing. (Tracy Pfeifer, MD, Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction is one of the ways we do breast reduction. There is a quarter inch scar only under each breast. So it is pretty scarless. It is a good operation if you only want to go down one cup size, and if you don’t have too much sagging. (George J. Beraka, MD (retired), Manhattan Plastic Surgeon)

Liposuction of the breast may be of some limited benefit

The breast is composed of skin, fat and breast tissue. It is possible to liposuction the fat but this procedure will not reduce the skin envelop or remove breast tissue. Ultrasonic liposuction of the breast may be of some limited benefit in some individuals.

The problem is in patient selection. It is very difficult to tell prior to surgery if a patent’s breast fat can actually be liposuction. It is also difficult to determine what percentage of the breast is fat vs. dense breast tissue. In general, the older the patient the higher the ratio of fat to breast tissue. In a younger patient the breast can be quite dense and firm and liposuction will be of no benefit. (Jeffrey Zwiren, MD, Atlanta Plastic Surgeon)

Scarless breast reduction a misnomer

When people talk about the scarless breast reduction they are talking about breast liposuction. This is a procedure I use about 2% of the time as very few people are candidates for this type of surgery.

The ideal candidate is a young female with little or no drooping (referred to as ptosis) and excess size. They have no stretch marks or excess skin and the nipples are in a good position at the apex of the breast mound.

I also use it on girls who are exceedingly large and still growing as a means of decreasing the volume without all the surgical incisions. Check with your doctors to see if you are a candidate so they can discuss the pros and cons of the surgery with you. (Steven Schuster, MD, FACS, Boca Raton Plastic Surgeon)