If you’ve been wanting to get a breast reduction but hate the idea of undergoing surgery, you’re in luck. Liposuction may be the solution you need to shed the burden of large breasts without commitment of a surgical breast reduction.
The benefits of using liposuction in breast reduction are valid when compared with a more invasive surgical breast lift and reduction. Breast liposuction is still a surgery but doesn’t involve cutting into the breast or removing nipples. It is a fat reduction surgery.
Liposuction breast reduction benefits:
- Full breast stays intact
- Small incisions at the sides of each breast
- Breastfeeding is not impaired – ducting stays intact
- Retain natural shape and feel of breasts
- Local anaesthetic only
- Less expensive than a full breast reduction surgery
What a surgical breast reduction involves
A full surgical breast reduction causes significant damage to breast tissue, involving removal and repositioning of the nipple. The nipple is physically disconnected from the ducting, which means no breastfeeding afterwards and considerable scarring.
While breastfeeding may not be a concern for many of you, if breastfeeding is ahead of you, you have to wait until your
breastfeeding days are over to get the surgery, not so with liposuction.Liposuction leaves ducting in place. There is no destruction of tissue since we only suction away fat. There is plenty of evidence that ducting and breastfeeding is unaffected by liposuction breast reduction.
What the science says
A 2004 study found that ‘liposuction breast reduction is a good method of breast reduction when applied to the proper patient’. The study’s authors, who were involved in over 350 breast reductions, concluded that:
- Complications are infrequent
- Recovery is rapid and easy
- Liposuction breast reductions offer a useful alternative to traditional breast reduction surgery in many patients
Who gets the most out of liposuction breast reduction?
Some patients are better suited to the use of liposuction for breast reduction at ENRICH Clinic than others. The difference is in the contents of the breasts.
Not all breasts are fatty; some breasts contain greater amounts of fibrous tissue. Liposuction cannot remove fibrous or glandular tissue – just fat.
It can be hard to tell whether your breasts contain more fat or fibrous tissue, so an examination by Dr Rich, our liposuction expert, is the best way to find out. However, you can feel for yourself – fat is soft, while fibrous tissue feels firmer and has form to it.
The more fat we carry, the more fat will usually be deposited in the breasts. Breast size tends to rise and fall with fluctuating weight, but can also change after pregnancy and with hormonal fluctuations. Breastfeeding may change the shape and composition of the breasts.
Thin women with large breasts tend to have more fibrous breast tissue – think Barbie. Barbie would probably not be the right candidate for liposuction breast reduction. The younger and thinner you are is related to how much fibrous tissue you are likely to have.
If you have large, soft breasts and your main issue is excess breast weight and size, you’re probably a great candidate for a liposuction breast reduction. If you’re concerned about very saggy breasts, rather than the weight or size of the breasts, liposuction breast reduction probably isn’t for you.
Women over 40 tend to have significantly fatty breasts and often see a surprising and significant breast lift after a liposuction breast reduction, despite the intuition that older skin has less elasticity and will not retract as well.
Here we run you through some of our liposuction breast reduction FAQs
- Will a liposuction breast reduction make my breasts saggy/have loose skin?
No, your breasts will not get saggy/saggier due to a liposuction breast reduction, because the skin naturally retracts around the breast’s contents. In fact, a liposuction breast reduction provides a natural lift to breasts; however, it may take a few months for the full extent of the retraction to be visible.
- Can you guarantee breast size reduction?
We cannot guarantee the outcome of your liposuction breast reduction because we can’t gauge fat content exactly until the treatment is underway. You may have more fibrous breast tissue than fat, and thus the reduction of breast volume may be less than you wanted. We will never take more fat out than you wanted. Your age, height and weight will be a guide to what we can expect, and our experienced liposuction expert, Dr Rich, can guide you.
- One breast is larger than the other. Can liposuction correct this mismatch?
We can very easily get your breasts to match without visible scarring on the chest by only treating just one breast to match the other. We can also reduce breast size while evening up the breasts in one treatment.
- How long does it take to recover from a liposuction breast reduction?
Recovery time depends mainly on how much fat we remove. The more fat that taken, the more swelling and tenderness results. The average time to return to work is about five days, and return to a regular exercise regime is about two weeks. Each of you will be a little bit different; Dr Rich will advise you on the specifics.
Contact us for a consultation.
