Breast reduction and fullness

Steven Wallach, MD answers: After breast reduction will my breasts remain full?

I am due to get a breast reduction in a short while, I am just waiting for my insurance company's approval, which my doctor said will not be a problem due to the size of my breasts.

My concern is that right now my breasts are very full and I love that part about them... Is there a way that they can be reduced to a smaller size and remain full?


Steven Wallach, MD
7 months ago

You certainly are a good candidate for a breast reduction, and you certainly can remain full.  Speak to your doctor about the size that you would like to be.  Fullness can certainly be maintained after a breast reduction.  My goal in breast reduction surgery is to give a natural, youthful appearance by making the breasts smaller, reducing the areola, lifting the breasts and minimizing the amount of scarring.

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A: Your breasts will still have fullness.

David Shafer, MD
12 months ago

Don't worry, by the look of your picture, you breasts will still have fullness after your surgery. However, my suggestion is that you ask your surgeon to show you some before and after pictures of breast reductions that he or she has performed. This way, you will get a better idea of what to expect after surgery. By definition, a breast reduction reduces the volume of the breast. However, the goal of surgery is to leave you with a natural appearing breast that fits the size of your body. Good luck.

David Shafer, MD
Shafer Plastic Surgery

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A: Breast fullness depends on the surgical technique.

George J. Beraka, MD
12 months ago

Some of the most common ways to do a breast reduction rely on tightening the skin to create the new breast shape. The trouble with this approach is that skin stretches over time and so you don't get great shape long term. You get what is called "bottoming out"; there is too much fullness UNDER the nipple and the upper part of the breasts look empty.

So I think the best way to treat someone like you is to shape the remaining breast tissue INTERNALLY (after the excess has been removed). The breast tissue and the nipple are moved up and sutured together internally . With this approach, you don't rely on the skin at all to get shape. The benefits are good LONG TERM fullness and thinner scars because there is no pulling on the skin repair.

This preferred technique was described by Dr. Hall Findlay.

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A: Any technique will do - it is the surgeon that is important.

Robert M. Freund, MD
11 months ago

There are many different technique designed to reduce the breast. For your size breasts some will not be available to you. However, because of your large size, it it will responsible of the surgeon to leave you will a fuller breast after reduction. As has been mentioned earlier, some techniques require skin tightening to create shape , and the stretching of the skin will result in short term results. Longer term results are available with the Lejour or Hall-Findlay techniques.

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