Breast Reduction

Plastic Surgeon & Medical Spa Serving Bryn Mawr, Villanova & Communities Near The Main Line Of Philadelphia, PA

Breasts are often an important aspect of a woman’s femininity and attractiveness. However, there are times when breasts can be so big that they have a negative impact on your life. It’s common for women with very large breasts to experience physical issues such as chronic back and neck pain that make it hard to lead an active lifestyle. These women may also experience difficulty participating in physical activities and finding clothing that fits appropriately.

If you experience these issues, breast reduction can be life-changing. In fact, “I wish I would have done this years ago” is the most common comment we hear from women after breast reduction surgery. The procedure is performed to reduce the size and weight of your breasts, allowing you to enjoy an active, pain-free life.

Dr. Raymond Jean is a board-certified plastic surgeon who has helped many women improve the quality of their life through breast reduction. You can learn about your options and receive individualized treatment recommendations by speaking with Dr. Jean in person. Please Text or Call today to schedule a consultation. Main Line Plastic Surgery serves patients in Bryn Mawr, Villanova and throughout the Main Line of Philadelphia.

What Are The Benefits of Breast Reduction?

Your breast reduction procedure can deliver a wide range of benefits that improve your health, appearance, comfort and lifestyle. Some of these benefits may include:

  • Improved overall physical comfort
  • Reduction of chronic back, neck and shoulder pain
  • Improved ability to participate in your favorite athletic activities
  • More positive body image and improved self-confidence
  • Look and feel better in clothing
  • More balanced figure and proportional body contour
  • Decreased breast droop
breast reduction philadelphia bryn mawr main line plastic surgery

What are the risks associated with Breast Reduction surgery?

This is major surgery, so all the risks involved with surgery apply to reduction: infection, excessive bleeding, poor healing, and the like. The main risk specific to reduction mammoplasty is loss of nipple sensation or overall changes in breast sensation. This is because the nerves can be impacted by the changes in the breasts. Also, the ability to breastfeed will likely be impacted. Dr. Jean is usually able to avoid damage to nerves and sensation, but it is definitely a risk.

When a patient is considering breast reduction, it’s important to weigh these risks and future scarring against the ongoing health issues caused by their large, heavy breasts. Most patients feel the tradeoff is worth it.

Good Candidates For Breast Reduction

If you experience problems in your daily life due to the size of your breasts, then you most likely are a good candidate for breast reduction. Common issues that can be addressed with breast reduction include:

  • Chronic back, neck or shoulder pain
  • Painful grooves caused by your bra straps digging into your shoulders
  • Problems exercising and engaging in athletic activities
  • Posture problems caused by the weight of your breasts
  • Chafing or irritation of the skin underneath your breasts
  • Problems finding clothing that fits well
  • Unwanted attention focused directly on your breasts
  • Feelings of self-consciousness over the size of your breasts

In addition, good breast reduction candidates should be in good overall health and have realistic expectations for the outcome of their procedure. If you smoke, you will need to quit prior to surgery and throughout the recovery period since smoking can adversely impact healing and results.

How small can you go with a Breast Reduction?

How much you’d like Dr. Jean to reduce your breasts is completely your decision. There is no right or wrong number of cup sizes. Most of our patients from Bryn Mawr and the surrounding areas opt to keep their breasts proportional with the rest of their figure. Their focus is to reduce the burden of their overly large natural breasts, without focusing on a specific size decrease. The goal is to make your breasts proportional, alleviating their negative impact on your life.

Some patients coming to Main Line Plastic Surgery for this procedure are so sick of their oversized breasts they want to dramatically decrease their size. They’ve spent a life dealing with their breasts and want to be done with them. But you also don’t want to regret downsizing your breasts too much at a later date. After all, your body shape will change dramatically with this procedure. It’s a welcome change, but it will be an adjustment.

When you meet with Dr. Jean for your consultation, you will detail how much you’d like to reduce your breasts. Most of our patients from across Eastern Pennsylvania opt to reduce their breasts by one to two cup sizes.

Will my nipple lose sensation?

In breast reduction, Dr. Jean usually needs to relocate the nipple/areola complex to a higher position on the breast because of the removal of excess tissue. This can affect the nerves in the nipples, and this can impact sensation. He makes every effort to mitigate this, and the vast majority of patients regain full sensation as their nerves adjust to the changes.

What to expect from your Breast Reduction

These surgeries have extremely high rates of satisfaction: over 95 percent of women who’ve had breast reduction are satisfied with their results. Women who’ve had reduction tell us how they now love shopping for clothes and swimsuits. They’ve joined exercise classes they formerly wouldn’t have considered. They’ve taken up sports or hobbies that they’ve always thought about doing but avoided. In most cases, our breast reduction patients develop a completely new body image, one based in confidence rather than being continually self-conscious.

For women who’ve been saddled with overly large natural breasts virtually their entire life, these are life changing procedures. Recovery isn’t easy, but the end result is worth it.

What Is The Breast Reduction Procedure?

Dr. Jean will customize your procedure to address your unique needs and goals. Breast reduction is generally performed on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. The entire procedure can be completed in two to three hours, and you will be able to go home the same day.

During breast reduction, Dr. Jean will remove excess fat, skin, and tissue in the breasts in order to make them smaller. The remaining skin is tightened, and the nipple and areola are repositioned to achieve a more attractive appearance. In addition, your procedure will result in a breast lift that provides a perkier, more youthful look.

View BEFORE-AND-AFTER PHOTOS of breast reduction results.

When Will I See Results After Breast Reduction Surgery?

Your results will become more noticeable as the swelling subsides, but it may take up to six months before you experience your final results.

What To Expect While Recovering From Breast Reduction

You may be sore and have a limited range of motion for about a week following surgery. For this reason, we recommend taking some time off from work and having someone to help with childcare or household activities during the first week of recovery. In addition, you will need to have someone drive you home after surgery due to the lingering effects of the anesthesia.

shutterstock 1448330525

More than acute pain, recovery involves more soreness. This can last for 2 to 3 weeks. You’ll feel weak for a few days. You may also have a feeling of pulling and stretching in your breasts because of the firmer, tighter contour created by Dr. Jean through the removal of excess skin and fatty tissue. You’ll need your pain medication for a week, possibly longer, but after the first couple days of your recovery, you’ll feel better every day.

What will my scarring be like after having Breast Reduction?

Due to the need to remove both excess glandular tissue and excess skin, the incisions necessary for breast reduction are extensive. In most cases, to gain the access necessary Dr. Jean uses the anchor incision. This incision circles the areola, drops down to the breast crease, and usually moves outward in both directions along that crease. As with any surgical incision, this will leave a scar. The scars will lighten over time, but they will always be there.

When weighing the value of smaller, more manageable breasts against having some scarring, our reduction patients are happy to make that tradeoff.

When you can resume normal activity After Breast Reduction

You will need to resume activity gradually. Dr. Jean will carefully monitor your recovery and let you know when it is safe to ramp up your activity level. In general, you should expect to refrain from intense athletic activities for about a month after surgery. Most patients can resume other normal activities in one week.

Is Breast Reduction Covered by Insurance?

In some instances, breast reduction may be covered by insurance if it is determined to be medically necessary, but this is becoming less common. Factors which may impact whether insurance will cover your procedure include:

  • The specifics of your insurance plan
  • Your symptoms
  • The amount of breast tissue being removed

Breast reduction is most commonly considered medically necessary in situations where the size of your breasts results in significant pain. Unfortunately, even though your doctors may feel breast reduction is medically necessary, this does not always mean insurance with cover the procedure. During your consultation, Dr. Jean and his staff will work with you to determine whether your procedure may be covered by insurance. If so, we will help you fill out all necessary paperwork.

Schedule a Breast Reduction Consultation in Bryn Mawr

Please contact Main Line Plastic Surgery using the form on this page or Text or Call today to schedule your breast reduction consultation. We serve patients in Bryn Mawr, Villanova and throughout the Main Line of Philadelphia.

logo 1

Our Location

OFFICE HOURS

Monday : 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Tuesday : 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Wednesday : 8:00AM - 6:00PM
Thursday : 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Friday : 9:00AM - 12:00PM

Accessibility Toolbar

Scroll to Top