What is Included in Breast Reduction Surgery?
The procedure is typically performed on an outpatient basis with general anesthesia. The patient is first marked in an upright position prior to entering the operating room. The typical scar pattern extends around the nipple, vertically to the inframammary fold, and then horizontally in the fold. This is known as a “Wise pattern” or “keyhole pattern”. The skin and breast tissue to be excised is marked, and the nipple/areola complex is left attached to the remaining breast tissue. Breast feeding is a possibility in the future, but varies with each individual.
Liposuction may be utilized on the sides to minimize the length of the incision. Occasionally, the procedure can be performed entirely with liposuction, and in some cases, an incision in the fold may not be required or minimal. At the end of the case, a temporary drain is placed on each side to prevent fluid accumulation in the breast. The patient is then placed in a dressing consisting of gauze padding and ace bandages placed circumferentially like a tube top.
Recovery from Breast Reduction Surgery
For the initial 24 hrs after your Washington, D.C. breast reduction surgery, it is normal for there to be drainage staining the dressing out the outside. Depending on the type of drainage tubes used, the patient is seen in the next few days for dressing and drain removal. If non-dissolving sutures are used around the nipple/areola complex, these are removed at 4 and 8 days after surgery. All of the remaining sutures dissolve.
The patient is asked to limit the use of her arms, keeping her elbows by her side for a period of 2 weeks from the day of the surgery. At that time, she will gradually start resuming her normal level of activity with the expectation that she will be back to normal at approximately 3-4 weeks. It is recommended that a mammogram not be performed until approximately 9-12 months after surgery to allow the scar tissue to settle and remodel.
