There are two categories of women with drooping breasts. The first has overly large breasts which develop from the weight stretching out the skin. These ladies can suffer from pains in the neck, shoulders, and back. The second category has normal-sized or small breasts that have been stretched out after pregnancy, large weight loss, or the effect of gravity over the years. Both groups of women prefer firm, perky, and normal sized breasts.

The women with overly large breasts have a medical necessity to reduce the weight of the breasts so that they can be relieved of the pain in the neck, shoulders, and back. One lady who had a reduction of three pounds or more from each breast felt so good that she could run and catch her 11-year-old son after surgery.

The women who need only a lift will sometimes need implants to give them normal-sized breasts. One lady who had lost a lot of weight after gastric bypass surgery looked great except in the chest. After the breast lift surgery she had an enhanced self-image that gave her the ability to relate very much better to family, friends, and strangers.

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In the surgical treatment of both classes of women excess skin around the nipple including the areola which is the brown area around the nipple, and the skin in the lower part of the breast need to be removed. This will result in a circular scar around the areola and either a vertical line in the underside of the breast or an additional horizontal line across the underside of the breast. Some people form very fine scars and others, especially the darker complected, form scars that can be prominent. Surgeons have attempted to reduce the scars of surgery and there are some who do only liposuction to reduce the size of breasts. This is possible only in those who are not too large because with high volume liposuction of the breasts they will droop just like a balloon that has had its air removed. In the case of breast lifts, it is possible to reduce the scar under the breast to just a vertical line in many cases. In those with only a moderate droop a doughnut of skin can be excised around the nipple and an implant placed under the breast to get excellent results without a need for excising skin under the breasts.

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Breast surgery, as is true of all surgeries, have possible complications such as infection, bleeding, loss of sensation, or loss of skin postoperatively. The risk of complications is similar to the risks of accidents in driving a car.

These surgeries can be done in the doctor's office but breast reduction is more often done in the hospital because there is insurance coverage. Most patients will be able to get around the day following surgery by wearing a good supporting bra. If the surgery is done in the hospital the patient may stay overnight or be discharged the same day depending on the extent of surgery done.

There is no increased risk of any diseases after surgery. The ability to breastfeed could be affected by the surgery. The final shape of the breasts may take several months to be final.

Be sure to ask your surgeon for preoperative and postoperative pictures of patients he has done and speak to some patients who have already had the surgery. For women who have had the surgery there are few who regret having had it done. For more information you can look up the American Society of Plastic Surgeons website on the Internet at www.plasticsurgery.org or call the office of Dr. Danny Oh at 604-2261133 Ext 1367.