Is Breast Reduction Very Painful?

It’s not unusual to have pain following breast reduction surgery. Pain tolerance varies from patient to patient with some describing it as minimal, while others describe it as severe. In many cases, the quality of the patient’s surgical experience is related to post-operative pain management.

In the immediate post-operative period, patients are given narcotic pain relievers. They are rapidly switched to non narcotic pain relievers as this becomes possible. This usually takes about seven to ten days following surgery.

Small amounts of discomfort may be present for several months following the procedure. When prolonged pain is present, this might indicate the presence of a complication. Under these circumstances, consultation with your plastic surgeon would be appropriate.

First of all, not all breast reductions are created equal.  I use a vertical technique, which has less scarring and better shape than the obsolete inverted-T.  We did surveys with our patients and the average pain rating was 3.3 on a scale of 1 to 10.  That compares to 5.9 for breast augmentation.  So a reduction hurts less than an augmentation (because there is no submuscular dissection).  In fact, patients often feel better right after surgery because the excess weight is gone.  So it's not a difficult operation to recover from.  Today, it is usually done as an out-patient.  Routine hospitalization is unnecessary.

Thank you for your question.  Pain is very subjective and everyone experiences pain differently.  Most patients tolerate breast reduction surgery very well with appropriate oral pain medication afterwards.   In general, most individuals who undergo breast reductions have previously suffered from neck, back, and/or shoulder pain and typically experience relief of these symptoms after surgery.  Be sure to discuss your pain control regimen pre-operatively with your board-certified plastic surgeon.  Best of luck!

#Breastreduction: discomfort during healing#Post-Operative Healing

The incisions are covered with light
dressings, and you will be place in a bra, which you should bring to the
surgery center with you. Our staff at the Pacific Center for Plastic Surgery
will help you select the proper size. The bra holds the breasts symmetrically
during the initial healing. The initial discomfort subsides daily and can be
controlled with It is best to wear the bra 24 hours each day
until released by the doctor

In general, a breast reduction is not painful. Most patients are kept comfortable with pain medication and usually only need it for a couple of days. Many of my patients have commented that they feel immediate relief after surgery from back, and neck pain, which more than makes up for any temporary discomfort from the surgery.

Pain is a very subjective feeling, but most patients tolerate breast reduction very well. Most take oral narcotic medication for 2 – 5 days following surgery, and then may continue on acetaminophen or ibuprofen for a few more days. I have even had a few patients who have not taken any oral pain medication past the first few hours post-op.

Post-op compression and support is very important in helping to reduce patient discomfort, and I usually have patients wear a bra for eight weeks following surgery.

Those women who have suffered from significant neck, shoulder, and/or back pain seem to have less surgical site pain; perhaps because they experience relief of the pain that has plagued them for years. Comparing breast reduction surgery to other common plastic surgical procedures of the breast and body, breast reduction is perhaps tolerated better than any other. Best wishes.

I am frequently impressed with how little pain my breast reduction patients have following surgery.  Patients comment that they experience relief almost immediately from the burden of carrying heavy breasts.  Many say that it is even easier for them to breathe because a weight has been lifted off of their chests.  Of course there is some soreness associated with breast reduction surgery, but this is counterbalanced by the dramatic relief of symptoms from having lighter breasts.

Patients usually tolerate breast reduction surgery very well and take oral pain medication for about 2 or 3 days. Since there is no dissection of the chest muscles during the surgery, the pain is not very severe at all. In fact, since the breasts are being reduced in size, many patients experience immediate improvement in their neck and back pain which was present due to their breast size.

Compared to breast augmentation, breast reduction is generally less painful.

Best wishes,

Dr.Bruno

I've had a lot of patient report that they notice relief of neck and back pain in the recovery area after breast reduction surgery - I've found the procedure to be one of the most tolerable operations in plastic surgery, in terms of need for post-op pain medication and return to work.

Thank you for your question.

Each patient is different with how they tolerate pain but because no muscle work is performed for breast reduction surgery, it not normally not considered a "painful" surgery.

You will have pain medication prescribed to you by your surgeon to use after surgery.

Best Wishes!