Understanding Breast Reduction Surgery

Breast reduction surgery, also known as mammaplasty, is a surgical procedure designed to reduce the overall size of the breasts. This is typically accomplished by removal of fat, breast tissue or skin as necessary to create breasts which are proportional to the size of the body. In general women who are ideal candidates for breast reduction surgery have one or more of the following characteristics:

• The weight of the breasts causes back, neck or shoulder pain
• The size of the breasts restricts physical activities
• The size of the breasts causes irritation to the skin beneath the breasts
• One of the breasts is significantly larger than the other

Although the above characteristics are not the only reasons a woman might opt to undergo breast reduction surgery, they are a few of the most common reasons why a patient may opt for a breast reduction procedure. However, it is important to note breast reduction is a cosmetic procedure and may be chosen by a patient for personal reasons as well as a result of physical complications resulting from the size of the breasts.