Liposuction and Breast Reduction are complimentary to each other

Because breasts are composed of both fatty and fibrous tissue, liposuction alone is rarely very effective. Most women who need their breasts reduced (due to excessively large size) also have excess breast skin. Surgical removal of this excess tissue is almost always required to some extent. Liposuction works well in concert with breast reduction, to help contour the outer chest wall and areas near the armpits.

Erin,

Thanks for the question.

Liposuction on its own, per se, is not a technique typically performed to achieve a breast reduction. In general, breast reductions include modification of the skin and underlying soft-tissue which includes both breast glandular tissue as well as a fatty component.  These modifications cannot be met by liposuction alone. It is not uncommon to perform liposuction in conjunction with a breast reduction surgery.

On the rare occasion, in breasts with good skin tone,  great soft-tissue integrity and minimal to negligible nipple-areolar ptosis, it is possible to perform a breast reduction with liposuction alone. Again, this is typically the exception to the rule, as most patients require a formal breast reduction to achieve acceptable results. I hope this helped. Best of luck.

Breast reduction typically reduces breast volume and breast skin, and provides a breast lift at the same time. Liposuction alone can reduce breast volume, but it does not change the amount of skin or position of the nipple.

The majority of breast reduction patients are not good candidates for liposuction-only breast reduction. To be a good candidate, the desired volume of reduction is small, the breasts are more fatty than fibrous, the skin is of excellent quality, the nipple is in good position, and no breast lift is required. Most people with very large breasts have some sagging, and liposuction alone would not fix that problem, and could make it look worse.

There are many different incisions that can be used for a breast reduction, but they typically involve an incision around the nipple, another from the nipple to the fold below the breast, and another horizontally laying along the breast crease (can be short or long). The scars are basically a trade-off for the new breast size and shape. The scars are different in different patients-some heal very well and are not noticable, and some can be dark or pink or puffy.

I would recommend consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon to see what type of procedure would be best for you.

Good luck!

In the scientific literature, liposuction is an accepted modality for breast reduction surgery. However, skin redundancy postoperatively makes this option less acceptable in the majority of cases. I prefer the short scar reduction mammaplasty technique from France that minimizes surgical scarring from breast reduction surgery.

Occasionally, liposuction can play a role in breast reduction in certain cases. Rarely can an entire breast reduction be done solely with liposuction--only if a patient has very good skin tone and a favorable nipple position. The vast majority of patients with large breasts will require tissue and skin removal which liposuction alone can not achieve. Liposuction can sometimes help improve contour at the sides of the breast near the armpit area in certain cases.

Please consult with a board certified plastic surgeon prior to planning a breast reduction.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno