Bilateral Breast Reduction
It is ironic living in Southern California to have a patient request to make her breasts smaller rather than larger. However, when the size of the breast is too large, gravity will pull on the breast, resulting in majority of weight of tissue to be in the bottom portion of the breast.
Typically, these patients have chronic back and neck pain and shoulder grooving, due to the excess weight pulling on the bra strap. Many patients also are unable to exercise adequately, due to the weight of the breast.
Breast reduction is an excellent solution for these patients. Most health insurance companies will cover breast reduction, if certain criteria are met. There has to be documentation of chronic neck and back problems. In addition, there has to be evidence of shoulder grooving. There is also a chart which matches the height and weight of the patient to the minimum amount of breast tissue which should be removed from each breast. If less tissue is removed, the insurance company will deny payment. Below is an actual patient results from breast reduction procedure.
There are several techniques used for breast reduction. I typically use either the superior or the inferior pedicle technique, and have obtained good results with both. I mainly use the inferior pedicle for breast reductions over 500gm (one pound and two ounces) per breast.
Recovery for breast reduction is much faster than breast augmentation with a sub muscular placement. Breast tissue does not hurt as much as muscle and the need for pain medication are much less. Patients can typically resume upper body exercise after one month, but a well-fitting support bra is recommended for the first three months. It typically takes 3-6 months for the breast to settle and achieve its final result.
Michael A. Jazayeri, M.D. is a board certified plastic surgeon in Santa Ana with over 13 years of experience. His office is located in Orange County, California. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call (714) 834-0101.