PSC Talk – Breast Reduction

Shopping for clothes with your friends is not something you look forward to. As others try on outfits in every store, you struggle to find anything that fits your chest while complementing the rest of your body. The issues extend far deeper than your closet. Your large breasts weigh you down, causing pain in your back, your neck, your shoulders and possibly even rashes where your bra digs into your skin. You know you need a breast reduction to find relief, but you’re scared of having the procedure done. You’re especially scared of the scars that will result. What can be done?

by David Lickstein, MD
and Daniel Maman, MD 
and The Plastic Surgery Channel

You’re not alone, assures Palm Beach Gardens, Florida plastic surgeon and breast surgery expert Dr. David Lickstein. “These concerns are very common ones that we hear all the time. Surgery involves making incisions through the skin that leaves scars, although as board certified plastic surgeons we have a lot of training and we strive to make those scars the best quality possible.”

Deciding to have any surgery requires understanding the trade offs involved.  For breast reduction surgery, patients must accept the resulting scars, but how bad will they be? New York City plastic surgeon and fellow breast expert Dr. Daniel Maman explains, “I always tell my patients that there is a huge spectrum of different types of scars. Some women have really ugly scars, but that’s a rarity. Actually, most women have very nice, nearly invisible scars. The far majority of patients are so pleased with the contour and the therapeutic benefit of having breast reduction, that the scars become irrelevant in the long run.”

What all can a patient expect from the procedure?

The amount of breast tissue that is removed varies from patient to patient. Whether you choose to simply reduce your breasts by a few cup sizes or you opt for a more dramatic change to achieve your desired outcome, after surgery you will notice the results in many areas of your life.  “It’s important to realize that it has a functional impact on people’s lives, as well as improves their appearance,” explains Dr. Lickstein. “It lifts their breasts and their tissues while making them smaller.”

The resulting outcome of a breast reduction is so much more than just relief from physical pain. Breast reduction patients enjoy smaller, perkier breasts. They are able to live without the constant pain in their neck, back and shoulders. They are able to be more physically active and they find better fitting clothes without the limitations that large breasts imposed.

It’s never too late to make a change

If you’ve always been bothered by a chest that is too large, you can find encouragement in both the many benefits that result from surgery and the many satisfied patients who have already undergone breast reduction surgery. “We know from personal experience and we know from outcome studies in our research that patient satisfaction after breast reduction is actually the highest of any procedure that we do,” says Dr. Maman. In the hands of a board certified plastic surgeon, you can safely and confidently find relief and a new lease on life.