Breast Reduction Louisville

Breast Reduction in Louisville, Lexington, KY

Breast reduction is performed on patients with large, pendulous breasts to not only reduce the size and weight but also to lift the breast to a more youthful location on the chest wall. Patients will have less shoulder and back pain, as well as less bra strap grooving afterward.

What is Breast Reduction Surgery?

Formally known as reduction mammoplasty, this surgery with
Dr. Salzman
removes excess breast fat, glandular tissue, and skin to reduce the overall size of the breasts and to bring them up to a higher position on the chest. For women with hypermastia, the clinical name for overly large breasts, reduction surgery is the only option to improve their day-to-day lives. This reduction will make the patient’s breasts more proportional to the rest of their figure.

What Are the Benefits of Breast Reduction Surgery?

If you’re a woman with overly large natural breasts, it’s likely they’ve been a burden all the way back to high school. They cause a host of physical problems due to their weight: back and neck pain, posture problems, possible nerve damage, and tingling sensations, and other issues. The psychological issues are equally annoying, both in the attention their large breasts attract, and the desire to cover up and avoid many social interactions due to not wanting to deal with their breasts.

These reduction procedures can change everything. Dr. Salzman’s patients are thrilled with the changes made by these surgeries. Breast reduction can give a woman a whole new body image, once they’re confident in, rather than one they’re constantly trying to cover up. Sagging, flattened, and heavy breasts are now smaller, lighter, firm, and back to a higher position on the chest. The breasts are now proportional to the rest of the figure. Neck, back, shoulder pain, and bra strap grooving can be reduced or eliminated.

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.

These procedures can be truly life-changing, and Dr. Salzman is happy to help you get there.

Who is a Candidate for a Breast Reduction?

istock 512521013 1024x700 1

Large, heavy breasts which may be the cause of back, shoulder, and neck pain; poor posture, bra-strap indentations, and chafing under the breasts.

Excessive breast size, which may decrease a sense of attractiveness and self-confidence, or interfere with normal daily activities or with exercise.

How is a Breast Reduction Surgery Performed?

The procedure is performed under general anesthesia on an outpatient basis. Incisions are made around the pigmented area (the nipple-areolar complex) and extend vertically below the nipple and into the fold under the breast. The nipple-areolar complex is moved upward to the desired location, and excess breast tissue, fat, and skin are removed.

"I can not say enough wonderful things about Dr. Salzman and his staff. I have been a patient for a long time and they always treat me like it's my first visit. Jaqueline always goes above and beyond to make me feel comfortable and spends a lot of time addressing my concerns. I would highly recommend Salzman Cosmetics to anyone for all of their plastic surgery or beauty care needs! Top-notch!"

- Anonymous

View Real Patients Results

What is Recovery Like After a Breast Reduction?

The incisions are covered with light dressings and the breasts are placed in a surgical bra. The bra holds the breasts symmetrically during initial healing. The scars will fade in 6-18 months. Initial discomfort subsides daily and can be controlled with oral medication. Surgery may reduce, but not eliminate, the ability to breastfeed.

Is Breast Reduction Surgery Safe?

These surgeries with Dr. Salzman are major surgery, so they so involve the risks inherent with any surgery, but generally, this is safe and very rewarding for our patients.

You could look at the perspective of these procedures actually improving your health and physical condition. Large, sagging, heavy breasts cause lots of physical problems, such as back and neck pain and even nerve damage. These will only worsen as you age. Improving these issues by having this surgery will correct those. Plus, we’ve found this surgery gives patients a new impetus to engage in more exercise and outdoor activities because they don’t have to cart around their heavy breasts and they no longer worry about undue attention. That’s good for your overall health moving forward.

Is Breast Reduction Surgery Painful?

Breast reduction involves incisions around the areola and breast, and there is a good amount of tissue repositioning. Plus, Dr. Salzman usually moves the nipple/areola complex to a higher position on the chest to correspond to the sagging, excess skin he removes. These create mild pain during your healing and recovery. This is usually the worst for the first 2-3 days, and then it begins to resolve. Dr. Salzman prescribes prescription pain medication for this initial period of your recovery.

What Are the Risks Involved With Breast Reduction Surgery?

These procedures have all the risks involved with any surgery: infection, reaction to anesthesia, excessive bleeding, poor wound healing, and the like. These are rare.

The main risk is a change in sensation in the breast tissue and the nipple area due to the changes made with the surgery. These procedures involve a good deal of tissue excision, removal of fatty tissue, and repositioning of other tissue. As mentioned above, the nipple/areola complex usually has to be moved to correspond to the higher position of the reduced breasts. All of this can affect sensation and it can also decrease milk production for breastfeeding. Dr. Salzman is a board-certified plastic surgeon with nearly three decades of surgical experience, so he is usually able to avoid these complications, but they are possible.

How Much Does Breast Reduction Surgery Cost?

There are some variables with these procedures, and they can affect the cost. For instance, does it make sense to add liposuction to remove excess fatty tissue? Will the lollipop incision be sufficient, or will it need to extend outward on the breast crease as well (the anchor incision)?

Once Dr. Salzman meets with you during your consultation and examines your particular issues, we can then give you an estimate of the cost of your surgery.

What Do I Need to Do to Prepare for Breast Reduction Surgery?

This is major surgery, so you’ll need to do the same things you would prior to any surgery: stop taking any anti-inflammatory medications, aspirin, blood thinners, and most supplements for at least one week prior to your surgery. These can cause excessive bleeding and increased subsequent bruising and swelling. If you smoke, you’ll need to stop for at least two weeks prior to and two weeks after your surgery, as smoking affects your circulation, which can impede healing.

If you’re a little overweight, it’s best to lose the weight prior to this surgery with Dr. Salzman, as he’ll be able to remove the appropriate amount of excess skin if you’re at your ideal weight.

You’ll probably need a couple weeks off from work, so make those preparations.

You won’t be able to lift anything more than a gallon of milk for a couple weeks. You also won’t be able to reach upward for that time. So, if you need to lighten amounts that you use and lift regularly, do so. Also bring things down from shelves so that you can easily grab them without reaching up.

Prepare your recovery nest. It’s important to really rest after reduction surgery, as Dr. Salzman excises a fair amount of tissue and repositions remaining tissue, so there is a good amount of tissue trauma. By laying low, you make it easy for your body to start the healing process. Make your nest ultimately comfortable with lots of pillows and blankets. You’ll need to sleep mostly on your back, so pillows can help you stay in place. Have all the entertainment you can want at your fingertips.

Can a Person Lose Weight With Breast Reduction Surgery?

Dr. Salzman will remove fatty breast tissue and loose, sagging skin in this surgery, but it’s not to the amount you would consider to be weight loss. But it will certainly appear as if you’ve lost weight. What? Even if you’re not trying to cover your overly large breasts by wearing baggy clothing that’s at least one size too large (which is typical), very large breasts have the effect of making you look heavier than you are.

woman in bra

When Dr. Salzman downsizes your breasts to be proportional with the rest of your figure, you’ll instantly look thinner. Most patients who have a sizeable breast reduction can look as if they’ve lost 20 pounds instantly. This is similar to someone who has their double chin removed surgically or with Kybella. They look thinner afterwards.

Another thing about breast reduction that is so awesome for our patients is that it can be completely freeing. Whereas a woman may have avoided certain forms of exercise, such as running or Zumba, simply due to the burden of their breasts getting in the way, now she can feel free to explore lots of exercise options and sports that she formerly shied away from. Weight loss follows.

Will My Breasts Sag After Breast Reduction?

The reason you’re having this procedure is likely to remove the sagging from your breasts. A breast reduction with Dr. Salzman is basically a breast lift that involves removing more fatty tissue in addition to the excess skin. Of course, we have sagging across our body as we age, but you’ll have firmer, higher breasts for the rest of your life.

Why Should I Have Dr. Salzman Perform My Breast Reduction?

Breast reduction is major surgery, with lengthy incisions and extensive tissue repositioning. This isn’t the place to shop around for the best “bargain.” When considering the potential for breast asymmetry, uneven incision healing, and the like, you need to do your research and find the most qualified, experienced plastic surgeon.

With almost three decades in practice, Dr. Salzman is that surgeon. He is double board certified in general surgery and plastic surgery. That’s the kind of training, expertise, and experience you can trust to deliver the results you seek from your breast reduction.

How Many Sizes Can a Person’s Breast Reduction Be?

During your consultation with Dr. Salzman the two of you will discuss your decreased breast size. You can opt to go as small as you’d like, but it’s a good idea to stay within proportion to the rest of your figure. Your overly large natural breasts now are out of proportion and are a burden. But bringing them into proportion will probably give you the reduction you seek for health and happiness without creating future regret that you may have opted to go too small.

Will Breast Reduction Affect My Ability to Breastfeed in the Future?

Dr. Salzman makes every effort to maintain the function of your milk ducts and ability to breastfeed in the future. Still, this procedure removes some glandular tissue and milk ducts that produce milk and transport it to the nipple. Whether or not this affects the ability to breastfeed varies by the patient. Sometimes regular breastfeeding is possible. In other cases, the patient must supplement breast milk with some formula. With the extent of tissue repositioning, it’s simply impossible to absolutely ensure breastfeeding capability will not be affected.

Other Options

An additional procedure that would enhance the result is Liposuction of the axillary area to reduce excess fat deposits.

Schedule Your Consultation

If you're interested in learning more about breast reduction please contact us for a consultation at 502-425-5200 or fill out our contact us form. We will discuss your needs and concerns, and determine your best course of action.

Schedule A Consultation

FILL OUT THE FORM OR CALL US

REQUEST A CONSULTATION

* All indicated fields must be completed.
Please include non-medical questions and correspondence only.

COME VISIT US IN LOUISVILLE

Accessibility Toolbar

Scroll to Top