Reasons for Breast Enlargement
Breast enlargement may exist since maidenhood (virgin hypertrophy), which may occur with subsequent obesity, breasts may remain large after pregnancy, breast enlargement might occur during or after the use of certain hormonal drugs (cortisone etc.). Sometimes a mass in the breast itself enlarges especially a single breast.
Family predisposition may occur with any of these reasons. If the hormonal cause is terminated, the breast growth usually stops.
Breast enlargement, called macromastia, sometimes reaches such a great extent that it manifests as Gigantomachy (giant breast). The breasts that are both too big and too sagged are now like pieces apart from the body.
How Is The Expert Approach?
A woman admitted with breast enlargement should firstly have a breast examination. Breast measurements are also recorded during that time. It is checked if there is mass in breasts and axillae.
The previous breast history is learned (suspicious mass, discharge etc.) and finally the family's breast diseases are questioned. Then, ultrasonic examination of the breasts may be requested.
The ultrasound scan is easy and harmless, it does not pose radiation and it gives a good idea about the suspicious masses in the breasts. In case of a suspicious mass on this ultrasound, this mass can be removed and sent to the pathological examination.
If breast enlargement goes on, some tests are requested to question the reasons of this enlargement. Breast reduction surgery can be decided if the breast enlargement has stopped. Patient expectations are important here. It is discussed how much it should be reduced, where scars are placed and other similar details.
Does Breast Reduction Reduce the Risk of Breast Cancer?
Breast reduction surgery automatically reduces the chance of breast cancer. The smaller the breast tissue, the lower the chance of cancer development. Therefore, breast reduction surgeries have positive effects on health.
Breast Reduction Surgery
Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery specialists can perform breast reduction operations. Marking is done considering general body measurements and rib cage and also taking the expectations of the patient into consideration. If the nipple is large, it is also planned to be reduced. This marking is performed in stand-up position because the dimensions change when you lie down.
Breast reduction surgery is performed under general anaesthesia. Necessary amount of skin and breast-fat tissue is removed, and nipple is placed in the appropriate place with lactating canals.
The remaining breast tissue is shaped and suspended by sutures on the anterior chest wall. To prevent possible blood and fluid accumulation, a vacuum drain is placed, and the tissues are closed with concealed sutures. There are usually no stitches to be removed, except for the drain site and some critical areas, and the concealed stitches dissolve on their own. All procedures are performed by considering the breast aesthetics.
What are the Difficulties after Breast Reduction Surgery?
After the breast reduction surgery, it is necessary to stay at the hospital as requested by the doctor and follow his instructions, which prevents possible post-operative problems and enables the early period to be experienced comfortably.
Protective antibiotics and painkillers are required. Drains can be taken 3-4 days or more days after. Bandages are usually removed with drains and immediately special-supported bras are started to be used. This bra is mandatory for 1-3 months and all kinds of activities including heavy sports are allowed after 3 months.
Breast reduction surgery is not a small-scale surgery, but there are no extreme difficulties. With the doctor's recommendations, the early period can be completed relatively comfortably.
In some sensitive patients, the stitches can be removed by themselves within a few weeks, but immediate recovery happens if stitches are removed by the doctor. All procedures are performed by considering the breast aesthetics.
Reverse-T Operation Scar
Even if the surgery is performed with concealed sutures, the reverse T-shaped scar remains. This scar keeps fading in 3 months and becomes more indistinct over the time.
The individual differences also matter in this scar tissue, some people's scars recover quickly and disappear, while some people's scars recover late and remain longer. Some medications may be useful according to the condition of the scars during periodic doctor controls.
Breastfeeding and Feeling in Nipple After Operation
Breastfeeding is possible after a possible birth, since mammary ducts are not interrupted during this operation. For some reason, breast reduction surgery can be performed in young girls. However, as breast tissue is reduced, there may be a reduction in lactation. All procedures are performed by considering the breast aesthetics.
In the first few weeks, the nipples remain numb, but this sense comes back completely or largely.
In some very large breasts, the nipple can only be transplanted by cutting it and mammary ducts are cut during that time. This method is chosen only for women who will not give birth.
Again, the sense in nipple may not come back for a long time in this method. However, this method is applied as the last solution in middle-aged and older women rarely and for very large breasts.
Pregnancy and Breast Sagging
Pregnancy is a very important hormonal trauma and can lead to different changes in breasts. Even without breast reduction surgery, breast sagging might be seen after pregnancy, but this sagging would be less if breasts are smaller. In other words, a woman with reduced breasts will have less breast sagging after pregnancy.
If pregnancy-induced breast sagging develops after breast reduction surgery, some corrections may be required after breastfeeding. These corrections are usually smaller in size and can be made entirely from old surgical traces, i.e. no additional surgical scar occurs.
Breast Sagging and Lifting
Breasts might sag over the time because of such reasons as weight loss and gain, birth, breastfeeding, menopause, genetic causes and ageing. Gravity always contributes to these reasons. In this case, chest sagging or breast sagging occurs.
For the above-mentioned reasons, the elasticity of the breast skin decreases, cracks appear, and Cooper ligaments connecting the breast gland to the rib cage gets loosened. In this way, the breast tissue and the nipple get sagged and also the breasts can be emptied, the upper part of the breast flatten.
Breast Lifting Surgery
Breast lifting surgery (mastopexy) is performed to correct the breast sagging. In mastopexy (Breast Lifting) operation, some scars might remain starting around the nipple according to the severity of sagging. Scars are made to relocate the nipple in upper part and remove the excess skin. As a result, scars are in the straight-line form (vertical mammoplasty) only around nipple and under breast + nipple, or in the shape of nipple + reverse-T on nipple. These scars are formed in the form of straight line with the finest techniques and best suturation materials. These scars are more distinct in the first months and then get indistinct over the time. However, no matter how professionally these scars are made, the result is determined by patient’s scar recovery situation. It is possible to achieve healthy results by applying some scar-reducing creams or silicon layer etc. during the early period.
Breast lifting surgery often needs drain. It would be appropriate to stay at hospital for one night.
After Breast Lifting Operation
Drains and dressings are generally removed on 2nd-3rd days after breast lifting operation. Sports bras are started to be used. It is suggested to use sports bra for at least 3-6 months after the operation.
The persistence of mastopexy (breast lifting) surgery is controversial. The positive changes obtained by surgery gradually begin to decrease Smaller corrections may be necessary from the same scars in the future. The reason for this is that although a beautiful shape can be obtained by surgery (breast lifting surgery), some factors do not change at all: The quality of skin and connective tissues are the same (it may be loosened by the time) the gravity factor is still present.
It would be useful to avoid frequent weight changes (it loosens skin and connective tissues) and use sports bra (to reduce the gravity effect) in order to increase the permanence of mastopexy surgery (Breast Lifting surgery).
Breast Lifting Surgery + Silicone Prosthesis
If the breast mass is smaller in a woman with breast sagging, mastopexy surgery alone cannot fill the upper part of the breast. In this case, mastopexy + silicone breast prosthesis (Breast prosthesis) is very useful. Advantages of adding silicone prostheses to mastopexy surgery:
• Eliminates the flattening on the upper part of the breast, makes this area look fuller.
• Reduces the skin amount to be removed since it fills the interior of the breast in mastopexy. When less amount of skin is removed, linear scar becomes shorter.
• Provides a permanent component to mastopexy (Breast Lifting)operation.
Telefon numarası: 0 (312) 426 37 60
İçerik güncellenme tarihi: 29.07.2023
