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Can Liposuction Be Used for Breast Reduction?

Excessively large breasts can cause a myriad of medical problems, including back and neck pain, poor posture, breathing problems, indentations from bra straps, numbness in the hands and arms, and rashes. Large breasts can also make exercising difficult. In addition to physical problems, women with oversized breasts often suffer from emotional pain in the form of low self-esteem or a poor body image. They also have a hard time finding clothing that fits well.

Liposuction surgery can correct many cases of oversized breasts. To extract the unwanted weight from the breast, the surgeon inserts a very small tube, called a cannula, beneath the skin through a small incision. The surgeon carefully manipulates the cannula to melt and suck out the fat from the breast, while leaving the glandular tissue in place.

This operation produces minimal scarring, as the incisions are less than half an inch long. This is a vast improvement over other breast reduction techniques, which can result in twelve-inch scars. Because liposuction only requires local anesthesia and does not require the nipple to be repositioned, the risk of complications is reduced compared to that of traditional breast reduction surgery. However, liposuction is less of a benefit to women with more glandular tissue than fat in their breasts, as liposuction does not extract glandular tissue. These women would be more benefited by traditional breast reduction surgery. A mammogram can determine the proportion of fat to glandular tissue.

If a patient undergoes breast-reductive liposuction to relieve medical conditions (back pain, numbness, etc.), most health insurance companies will cover the cost of the surgery because it is considered a medical rather than a cosmetic procedure. Most other liposuction surgeries are not covered by health insurance companies.

Breast-reductive liposuction is not for everyone. The ideal candidate for this surgery has realistic expectations for the results of the operation (a 30-50% reduction in breast size), fully mature breasts, and does not have dense breasts. Since fat begins to replace some of the glandular breast tissue after menopause, candidates for liposuction are often older women.

As with any surgery, liposuction is not without risk of complications. The most common problems are reactions to anesthetics, bleeding, and infection. A family history of breast cancer, reactions to anesthesia, extreme obesity, and other factors can affect your candidacy for breast-reductive liposuction. Talk openly and honestly with your surgeon and/or healthcare provider before undergoing liposuction surgery to avoid complications. A complete, personal evaluation is necessary for determining if this right for you.

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Christian Heftel is a staff writer at www.liposuctionguide.com For more information on Christian and Liposuction, please visit www.liposuctionguide.com www.liposuctionguide.com

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