Breast Reduction: Q&A

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Traditional Breast Reduction Vs Laser Bra Surgery

I am doing research for my Breast Reduction. When researching the Laser Bra, I discovered that the procedure is about 1 & 1/2-2 hours, however when researching traditional Breast Reduction and Lift, some doctors say that the procedure will be around 4-5 hours for sculpting my own natural tissue.

Do any of you have any reservations about the Laser Bra technique? Why is the time difference so big? I have not found any pictures of traditional reduction and lifts on the Internet that wowed me; however, the Laser Bra before and after pictures are amazing. BUT - I will not compromise my health if the technique is not safe. Please advice. Thank you so much for your time.

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18 Doctor Answers | Asked by CocaNut Derriere

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The truth about The Laser Bra and Laser Breast Reduction

Interesting how many call this a gimick when they dont even know what it is.............. I have done this on hundreds of happy women for over 14 years ( including 2 family members, numerous employees, numerous nurses who have watched it, and multiple physicians including a past fellow who does the surgery herself!) Many of my Board Cerrtified Fellows are doing it around the country and I would be happy to assist any of you to find a qualified Board Certified Plastic Surgeon if you email our more

A consultation with a plastic surgeon may be helpful

When considering your options for breast reduction surgery, be very cautious as to what is being advertised as the latested and greatest in minimally invasive or noninvasive procedures. Breast reduction surgery is not just about making the breasts smaller, but also about reshaping and sculpting them to provide a more youthful shape and look. This is difficult if not impossible to acheive without surgery in my opinion. In terms of time, I think most of us would agree that we can perform a... more

Laser bra is just another way to "skin the cat"

I like the idea of the laser bra, in conjunction with some other maneuvers to try to achieve a good, lasting fullness of the breasts, but I don't like the notion that you can't achieve this without using a laser. In fact, I would argue that the need to pull a laser into the OR to perform an operation that traditionally doesn't involve a laser is wasted motion, time, and expense. If you go back to basics and look at what lasers do, it's pretty simple: they use light energy... more

Laser Bra

I trained with Dr. W. Grant Stevens of Marina del Ray who created the Laser Bra technique. As breast surgery is becoming more and more popular, it is not surprising that accompanying procedures have been developed to improve results or make them last longer. The Laser Bra is a technique that proves this.

Breast Reduction can be done in under an hour without a laser

Laser Bra is just a great sounding name but that's about it. If your concern is about the timing of 'traditional' surgery, then you should not think that laser bra is anything special. While some surgeons describe breast reductions as taking 4 hours or so, it is also very possible to do this surgery in under an hour. Dr. Lista and I perform these procedure in under an hour, and the cosmetic results certainly are nothing to be ashamed of. The technique... more

My colleagues are too polite. This a gimmick.

Times are hard and some surgeons market themselves anyway they can. In general, avoid any operation that has a catchy name or a brand name. In fact, it makes a very big difference how a breast reduction is done. The breast should be shaped with internal sutures without relying on skin tightening. This way you will get good LONG TERM shape. Most women need only a "lollypop" scar. And it should not take more than 3 hours. Not that how long it takes matters very much.

Laser bra surgery isn't magic

The laser bra is simply a way of using the dermis layer of the skin to support the breast after lifting and reduction. The use of the word "laser" makes it sound more high-tech and fancy than using the word "traditional." It is advertised by Dr. Stevens in L.A. I have reviewed his multiple photos and quite honestly I am not very impressed with the outcomes nor would I be happy with them for my own patients. Just like other art forms, a breast reduction and lift is a sculpting exercise... more

Laser Bra Breast Reduction

Ahhh. Marketing. You hear it over and over again in our responses. When it sounds "too good to be true" it is. Lasers do tighten the skin, but very little. Let me repeat it: lasers DO NOT TIGHTEN THE SKIN much. The issues with all breast lifts and reductions is that gravity will cause you to droop again over time. I have done many different kinds of lifts over the years, and I find in my hands the best lift is the vertical lift. I do a lot of internal suturing, which takes... more

I agree with the other surgeons.

I also have not been impressed with the laser breast reduction. I would not consider having a family member undergo a breast lift/reduction with a surgeon that boasts an operative time (let alone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Think about this- this operation is one in which the breast aesthetic must be considered with the body habitus and anatomical considerations needed to perform the procedure safely. I think that most surgeons would agree that a very large amount of time with this procedure is... more

Breast Reduction Techniques?

Thank you for the question. When it comes to the success of breast reduction surgery I would suggest you do not put too much weight on breast reduction time. In other words, a shorter breast reduction time does not necessarily equate to a better or worse result. Ultimately, I think you should concentrate on selection of a surgeon who you feel will most likely be able to achieve your goals as opposed to selecting a technique first and the surgeon secondarily. Fortunately,... more

Laser Bra = sales ploy

When you see something with a catchy name that only one or two surgeons is doing, you can pretty much bet that it's a marketing gimmick. In many cases, these fancy things are procedures that most of us already do--we just haven't bothered to give it a cute name and start telling the public that it's a great thing. The laser bra is a name for the use of a laser to remove the skin from the breast during breast reduction. It is thought that the heat from the... more

Carmen Kavali, MD

11 reviews

Atlanta Plastic Surgeon

Laser bra surgery - dont fall for gimmicks

There are many options today for breast reduction surgery. Be wary of marketing gimmicks and unproven technologies. When discussing this surgery with your plastic surgeon, make sure that he or she is very experienced in all the different techniques that are proven to be effective. To ensure that your breast has a youthful and full appearance internal suturing of the deeper breast tissue is important. This restructuring may be performed with sutures or even with the laser.... more

Lasers for breast surgery is a tool, not a procedure!

The Laser Bra Lift is a marketing tool. This surgery uses laser treated skin to support the breast tissue. I've used the laser for breast reduction surgery for over 20 years: It is a tool, not a procedure. The laser treated skin can stretch again. I had great hopes that the laser treated skin could act as an internal bra... but don't count on it!!

Marketing and surgery

As you may have read, there is a lot of direct marketing going on these days. Catchy names for procedures make them sound more appealing. (Think about the most recent liposuction technologies and some branded face lift techniques.) In the realm of breast reductions, using a laser to deepithelize the skin island is just a variant of the normal technique (I use a knife to do the same thing). But the laser sounds high-tech, is marketable, and cannot be easily infringed as these lasers are... more

Laser breast lift

Sounds like a fancy gimmicky way to get patients into the office. Most breast reductions take about 2-3 hours to perform in experienced hands. They are usually done with traditional incisions giving good results. Maybe if it is suggested that it is a limited incison endoscopic Smartlipo fraxel microsurgical laser breast reduction, more patients would come in for surgery!

Steven Wallach, MD

12 reviews

Manhattan Plastic Surgeon

Many ways to reduce a breast

Many surgeons use a manuveur similar to the Laser Bra lift. It is not a completely different technique but merely tries to use the dermis of the breast tissue to provide some internal support. In order to use the dermis, the epidermis needs to be removed. Most surgeons, like myself, have used a scalpel to do this. The use of a laser to destroy the epidermis is another method. It has little to do with the pedicle techniques, the skin flap patterns, the placement or quality of scars, or the... more

Robin T.W. Yuan, MD

4 reviews

Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

Breast Reduction vs Laser Bra

Many plastic surgeons create catchy phrases for marketing reasons. A quick review of the photos you mentioned on the Stevens Laser Bra Website show a series of patients who have had implants placed as well as breast lifts. I did not review the entire gallery, but if the implant patients are the amazing pictures you are looking at, then you are being somewhat misled. In today's world I find that especially with young people, I need to make them aware... more

'Laser Bra' lift is a marketing ploy

There is nothing unique about a 'Laser Bra' lift compared to to traditional breast reduction and breast lift surgery. The laser is used to remove the surface of a portion of the breast skin. This technique is also done with a knife, which is much more cost-effective than a laser. See out a plastic surgeon that does a lot of breast reduction procedures.