Breast Reduction Surgery Risks and Safety

Breast Reduction Surgery 

While breast reduction cosmetic surgery is generally considered a safe and predictable procedure, patients should be aware of the potential risks involved in the surgery.

The standard risks may include the possibility of infection, adverse reaction to anesthesia, poor breast symmetry, conspicuous scarring, and uneven nipple height. But the potential advantages of the breast reduction surgery typically outweigh the risks associated with the procedure.

The plastic surgeon will inform the patient on the potential risks during the pre-operative consultation. The first objective of a dedicated surgeon will be to enable the patient to make a well-informed decision. plastic surgeon Dr. David Kim provides breast reduction to patients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and surrounding locations in this area of the state.

Asymmetrical Breasts

Breast reduction surgery may involve the risk of substantially asymmetrical breasts. But if the patient chooses an experienced and highly trained breast surgeon to perform this surgery, then this risk is significantly minimized. In case this asymmetry occurs, it can be addressed via a revision surgery.

Patients should also understand that natural breasts are not completely symmetrical. A slight variation in the shape and size is normal and will not warrant a revision procedure to correct it.

Uneven Nipple Height

A breast reduction surgery involves altering the breast shape and size as well as shifting some skin. This means that there is a possibility that the nipples will not be placed at the same height during the procedure. In certain cases, the areola and nipple are detached from their original location and re-grafted at a higher site on the breast.

In other cases, the surgeon may let the nipple remain attached but alter the breast skin to better fit the new, smaller-sized breasts. The risk of irregular nipple height exists in both these approaches.

Changes in Sensation

The patient may experience a loss of sensation in the breast after a reduction mammaplasty, especially if the areola has been detached and re-grafted at a different location. While areola re-grafting increases the aesthetic appeal of the breasts, detaching it from the tissue of the breast could lead to sensation loss.

To a certain degree, even if the breast reduction does not involve grafting, the patient could experience a change in sensation in the nipples or the entire breasts. While this altered sensation is usually temporary, it can be permanent in some exceptional cases.

Breastfeeding Challenges

A woman may be unable to breastfeed after a reduction mammaplasty. This risk depends on the surgical technique used for the reduction procedure. The risk to the ability to breastfeed increases if the surgeon uses the traditional anchor pattern breast reduction technique. In this technique, many milk ducts are eliminated leading to challenges in breastfeeding in the future.

This risk to breastfeeding is reduced in the case of the vertical incision breast reduction technique. In the vertical incision technique, at least a portion of the nipple remains attached to the milk ducts.

The risks to breastfeeding after breast reduction surgery are minimized if the patient has more fatty tissue in comparison to glandular tissue warranting the use of liposuction for the breast reduction surgery.

Similar to any surgery, the risk of infection exists in breast reduction surgery as well. Committed cosmetic surgeon Dr. David Kim receives patients from Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, and other towns and suburbs in this part of California for breast reduction.

For more information on the surgical and non-surgical procedures and treatments by Cosmetic Plastic Surgeons Dr. David Kim and Dr. Eugene Kim.  Click here to contact us today.

Serving Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Orange County, Southern California and surrounding areas.