Is there a way to make the breasts a couple of sizes smaller, or is surgery the only way to go?
Emma
Safety and medicolegal issues will likely delay external, "nonsurgical" breast reduction procedures from reaching the States for a while, but you may have access to them in your country. Check with a plastic surgeon in your area for details on the availability of these technologies. Good luck!
Emma,
For the most part, surgery is the only way to reduce the size of the breast and keep a natural appearance.
However, for smaller volume reductions, liposuction is an alternative. You have to keep in mind, however, that by deflating the breast with liposuction and not resecting the skin, you have a risk of breast ptosis (hanging skin) that may leave you worse off that you started. However, for small volume reductions, you can achieve very nice results with liposuction.
Also, breast reduction incisions tend to heal very well. Breast reduction patients are some of the happiest patients that we see. So, the tradeoff of an incision for enhanced lifestyle and relief of neck and back pain is generally a good decision.
I hope this is helpful.
David Shafer, MD
Shafer Plastic Surgery
New York City
Most people will experience a loss of breast size with weight loss. There is a small percentage of patients that will not respond because their breasts are predominantly gland (the tissue that makes milk and gets bigger and smaller with your period).
Birth control pills make some women's breasts larger. If you are one of those people and want to have smaller breasts then stop the pills and resort to another type of birth control.
Finally, whether you have a liposuction or conventional breast reduction - they are both surgery and require anesthesia and some amount of cutting and injury.
Breast liposuction will reduce volume but will leave the breasts appearing saggy.
For breasts reduction surgery, my favorite are the vertical scar techniques (especially Lejour, not Hall-Findlay) and a circumareolar breast reduction called a Goes technique. Both give wondeful, natural, durable sexy results.
Liposuction only breast reduction can make the breasts smaller in the right patient, and this is scarless surgery, but it is surgery none the less.
Women tend to be quite happy after breast reduction, and the recovery is fairly easy. You just need to be motivated.
There are some non-invasive body contouring procedures that are "still in the pipeline." There are devices that are being used in Europe for body contouring that are not yet approved in the US that have been used instead of liposuction to reduce overall girth. That be said if this product becomes available, it would most liekly reduce some of the fat content in the breast if possible. However, just like liposuctioning of the breast, there will be no control to tighten the skin envelope or raise the nipple areola complex to a "perkier" more youthful appearance. In addition, it is unclear how this could affect the long term risk of developing breast cancer .
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