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Breast Reduction
The most common risks of breast reduction surgery include:
- Scars. Breast reduction surgery always leaves visible scars on the breasts. But how bad the scars are varies from person to person and by the type of incision. Although red and swollen at first, scars typically fade over time. But scars may remain very noticeable in some women long after surgery. Fortunately, the incisions usually can be limited to areas of the breast that can be covered by a bra.
- Unevenly positioned nipples, or breasts that are not the same size or shape.
- Loss of feeling in the nipples or breasts. This is often temporary, lasting a few months, but in some women it lasts much longer or becomes permanent. Because some women with large breasts do not have a lot of feeling in their breasts before surgery, this may not be a concern.
- Inability to breast-feed after surgery. Some women may still be able to breast-feed, depending on what type of reduction was done.
Less commonly, damage to the breast's blood supply may occur during surgery. This may delay the skin's healing process. Loss of part or all of the nipple and areola can also occur, but this is not common.
Other risks of surgery include:
- Excessive bleeding during surgery.
- Infection.
- Reaction to the anesthesia.
- Blood clots in large veins traveling up to the heart and lungs (pulmonary embolism). This is not common.
These risks can be serious or even life-threatening, but they rarely occur.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 4, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Keith A. Denkler, MD - Plastic Surgery | |
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