Breast Reduction Surgery in Atlanta

• Traditional Breast Reduction Surgery: The traditional breast reduction surgery technique involves either an anchor pattern reduction or Wise pattern reduction. During your surgery, the incision is made horizontally beneath the breast in the crease before extending the incision vertically up to the nipple. The incision is then extended around the nipple, which creates an anchor pattern. Your breast reduction surgeon will remove skin, fat, and tissue from the lower breast area to reduce the mass of the breast and, in most cases, the nipple will be moved to a higher position (although it remains attached to the nerves and blood vessels).

  Additional Reading

  For extremely large breasts, however, the nipples may need to be moved and grafted to a completely new location; in this situation, the patient will lose sensation in the nipple and areola. After the nipple is moved to its new position, the skin above the nipple is brought down and around the swell of the breast and stitched back to close the original incision. Patients with extremely large breasts may benefit most from the traditional method of breast reduction, as this technique can remove more excess skin and tissue than with other methods. This also makes traditional breast reduction the most invasive method, as it entails more scarring. However, these scars usually fade, and they can often be hidden under clothing.*

• Vertical Incision Breast Reduction Surgery: The vertical incision technique is sometimes referred to as a short scar breast reduction. During this method, your plastic surgeon will make a lollipop-shaped incision around the areola and extend the incision vertically down the breast. Your surgeon will remove excess skin and tissue, and then fold the excess skin over itself to stitch the incisions. The vertical breast reduction method allows for slight repositioning of the nipple. Patients with moderately-large breasts may benefit from vertical breast reduction. Unlike the traditional technique, the short scar method does not involve a horizontal incision across the breast crease, resulting in less scarring and downtime. However, the vertical method removes less breast tissue than the traditional technique.

Following your breast reduction surgery, your breasts will be sore, swollen, and bruised. You can expect to wear bandages for a few days after surgery for extra support, and a special soft surgical bra (or athletic bra) will be recommended once the dressings are removed.