Breast Reduction
Although it is an operation performed by aesthetic surgeons to improve the appearance of breasts larger than normal; It causes complaints such as back pain, posture disorder, headache, shoulder pain, difficulty breathing, collapse of the shoulder with bra straps, hygiene problems under the breast (diaper rash or fungal infections) caused by big breasts.
Most of the patients presenting with the complaint of breast size require breast reduction surgery due to health problems beyond aesthetic concerns.
Breast Reduction Surgery
It is applied to any patient who has various health problems due to breast size, who is over 18 years of age and who is suitable for anaesthesia. Generally, patients between the ages of 30-50 apply this procedure.
Preoperative
Every patient should be thoroughly examined and all complaints and expectations should be listened to. The patient should be informed about the possible operation and the possible outcome, and if possible, more realistic information about the operation can be given to the patient with previous samples. It is recommended that the patient who decides to undergo surgery should stop smoking 1-2 weeks in advance if he/she is using it.
Also, a certain period of walking each day in the days before surgery or breathing exercises with a sports activity appropriate for him to get narcosis and wake up will be easier. Your doctor will help you with the program.
If the patient does not go to regular breast scans before the operation, the breast can be evaluated by ultrasound or mammography before the operation. This priority test can help the patient to follow up and screen later. The surgeon decides whether or not to perform the test.
In the pre-operative period, the patient’s relatives and other people may be criticized in many ways, sometimes with inaccurate information and the stress level of the patient may increase and this may be reflected on the day of surgery.
One thing to note is that the patient feels comfortable on the day of surgery. Although some stress or fear is normal, excessive anxiety usually depends on the patient being disturbed by ear-filled information. For this reason, after the decision, it is appropriate for the patient to discuss this operation only with people who have the right information about this operation. In this period, if he has any problems, he should be able to contact his doctor directly and get the necessary help.
Surgery Planning and Operation Process
After the necessary tests are performed and the approval of the anaesthesia is obtained, drawings are made according to the previously planned technique while the patient is standing in the room before the anaesthesia on the morning of surgery. The future point of the nipple is marked. The skin around the nipple is removed during surgery. Excess breast and fat tissue on both sides are removed and weighed. The nipple is adapted higher up to its new location.
The nozzle is shaped and checked for symmetry. If necessary, liposuction is performed in places with fullness. After placing a drain as a safety measure on both nipples, the skin is closed with sutures.
The bandages are glued and the styler is taken to the patient’s room with a special bra. The operation takes 2 – 3 hours depending on the size of the breast. The patient is invited to the hospital one night. Postoperative pain is negligible. There is no need to remove stitches because melt stitches are used.
The majority of patients experience symptomatic relief after breast reduction surgery, a more active lifestyle is achieved and a significant increase in quality of life is experienced. Breast reduction surgery is a very high level of patient satisfaction.
Criteria for Method Selection in Breast Reduction Surgery
- Breast size
- Distance between nipple and teat fold
- Breast tissue
- Breast skin feature
- Shoulder / hip width
- Nipple – the distance between shoulder/hip
What to Expect After Breast Reduction Surgery?
After the breast reduction surgery, a drain is usually placed on both breasts to remove excess fluid accumulated between the tissues. Drains are removed after 1-2 days. Bra-like dressings are used immediately after surgery. The dressings are removed after one week. The stitches are taken within 10 days of a week.
After breast reduction surgery, bloating, bruising and numbness loss may be observed. These problems can resolve spontaneously within a week. Postoperatively, patients can return to work within a week. However, we advise our patients to stay away from heavy exercises and compelling movements for about 3 months.
Will the Scar Remain?
After the breast reduction operation, the red mark will disappear during the first 6 months following the skin colour. Ointments recommended by the physician may be used to circumvent this process quickly.
Does it Merge With Other Operations?
It can be combined with breast reduction, liposuction, rhinoplasty, fat injection. If there are combined surgeries, prices will be reduced by 30% – 40%.
Does Breast Reduction Prevent Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?
After breast reduction surgery, it is recommended not to get pregnant within 1-2 years for the breast tissue to recover and maintain its normal function. It is beneficial to be controlled in weight gain during pregnancy and to be protected by keeping skin moist in deformations such as cracks.
There is a small chance that breastfeeding will decrease in the rate at which the milking tissue shrinks.
Breast Augmentation
Breast Augmentation Surgery is a surgery performed by placing a prosthesis or removing the patient’s own oil to remove asymmetry in patients who want to have a larger breast or have symmetry disorder.
Breast enlargement is a surgical procedure performed to increase the size, shape and fullness of a woman’s breast. Breast augmentation surgery is one of the most common aesthetic operations in the world. It is one of the most successful plastic surgery operations.
Who Can Have Breast Augmentation?
- Unhappy with the size of their breasts
- Those who experience fullness and loss of form in their breasts
- Symmetrical disorders of the breasts
- Self-confidence due to the size of the breasts
- Patients who have lost their chest or breast due to different diseases
Age of Surgery?
Breast aesthetic surgery is recommended at the age of 18 years after the development of breast tissue. However, breast aesthetics can be performed in special cases at an earlier age.
Preoperative
Breast Augmentation Surgery requires some examinations and tests. If there are diseases that are overlooked by examinations such as ultrasonography and mammography, it is detected. The preoperative examination determines the outcome, the application, the type and size of the breast prosthesis. The prostheses and devices used are FDA approved by the USA and are under the control of the Ministry of Health. Breast prostheses are of two types: round and drop.
The drop model is the model that best fits the anatomical shape. Nipple and lower part of the prosthesis is fuller. It is generally used as the first choice in cases where the breast tissue is low. Also, these two prostheses are textured and smooth. It is up to the doctor’s experience and the patient’s desire to decide which and to what extent to use.
Important Tips
- If you smoke, you should consult your doctor and stop drinking or reduce it sometimes before surgery.
- Make sure your doctor knows the medicines, herbs, and supplements you have been using recently. For example, some medications (such as aspirin) may cause post-operative bleeding. Therefore, you should strictly follow the advice of your doctor.
- Eat healthy foods and alcohol during the last week before surgery.
- Exercise is always good for our health; but one day before the enlarging process, heavy exercises should not be done.
- Do not consume anything, including water, the night before surgery.
- Clean the areas to be operated with antibacterial soap the night before the operation. Never use makeup products such as cream, oil or even deodorant after bathing.
- For anaesthesia, at least your nails should be free of nail polish.
- If possible, brush your teeth on the day of surgery without swallowing any water. If you need to take a medication recommended by your doctor, do so by consuming a minimum of water.
- You need to wear large and comfortable clothes and shoes on the day of breast augmentation.
You Should Decide the Shape and Size of Your Chest
There are two types of breast types: round and drop type. You should decide which of these is more compatible with your body and the correct size of the implant. With a chest shape that does not fit with your body, the size of the chest that your body will have difficulty in carrying causes you to be unhappy with the result of aesthetic surgery.
Nowadays, breast design can be done with 3D design devices from the patient’s images. By using this technology, you can see which shape and size are more suitable for you before the surgery and make your decision accordingly.
Enlarge Your Breasts With Filling Injection
You can also enlarge your breasts with non-surgical techniques. For this, the hyaluronic filler material can be utilized. If you have enough breast tissue, it can make you fuller by injecting the upper filler, especially the décolleté region. The most important advantage of this operation, which lasts an average of 15 minutes, is that there is no need for recovery and the results are immediately visible.
Fat Transfer
You can transfer the fat to your breasts from another place in your body. This is a new process called autologous fat transfer. You can gain volume by using micro or nanotechnologies. For an average of 2 years, your breasts slowly lose volume and maintain. At the end of this period, you can re-transfer oil.
Breast Prosthesis From Which Region?
We have 4 different incision sites for breast prosthesis surgery. These are the armpit, nipple circumference, nipple and navel incisions. Each breast prosthesis has its advantages and weak points. Although the incision around the nipple heals with a very small scar around the brown part called areola, it may be necessary to cut the milk ducts technically.
Under the breast, there is no harm to the mammary gland and milk ducts; healing occurs with a faint scar on the nipple groove. If there is an anomaly at the adherence of the breast to the chest wall, this can be easily corrected in this procedure.
There is no incision in the armpit incision on the breast and underarm intervention is made. The endoscopic prosthesis is usually inserted from the axillary and umbilical incisions. Although scars are noticeable as slight redness in the early postoperative period, they gradually fade and become vague. Using these incisions, a pocket of suitable size is prepared under the mammary gland or chest muscle and the prosthesis is inserted into this pocket.
What to Expect After Breast Augmentation Surgery?
It is recommended to wear a bra or bandage after breast augmentation surgery. If no self-melting suture is used, sutures are removed approximately 10 days after surgery.
If the breast prosthesis is placed behind the breast muscle, it is natural that there is a limitation of arm movements for several days after surgery.
Swelling, numbness and bruising may be observed. However, all these effects resolve spontaneously within a week.
After breast augmentation surgery, our patients can return to normal life and work within 3-4 days. However, we advise our patients to avoid heavy movements and exercises for a few months.
Recovery Process?
The nerve block is applied during the surgery and the silicone pocket is washed with a special painkiller solution. In this way, a very comfortable post-operative process passes. In the first months of the incision is a red line. Then it fades within 6 months and 1 year and reaches its skin colour and becomes vague. Shower can be taken one day after surgery. When the patient feels well, he can even drive.
The first few weeks after surgery, the breasts appear slightly larger due to oedema and swelling. Usually, oedema and swelling go away within 1 month and the breasts return to normal dimensions.
Silicone After Breastfeeding
Silicone mothers who are inserted after breast augmentation surgery do not prevent breastfeeding. The silicone can’t flow through the nipple to the child. It is also not possible that wearing a prosthesis makes it difficult for your baby to suck. You can safely use the silicone prostheses used by many mothers.
Breast Lift
Although a breast lift is not an important problem regarding the size of the breast, it covers the operations performed to recover the sagging breast. There are a variety of factors that cause sagging of the breast. Factors such as breastfeeding, weight gain, ageing and gravity cause sagging of the female breast over time.
Also, if the skin elasticity is lost, both the shape of the chest changes and sagging continues. Breast lift operations are performed to reduce or eliminate these problems.
Who Is Breast Lift Surgery Applied?
Asymmetries and differences in breasts can also be corrected by breast lift surgery. Breast lift aesthetic surgery is often performed as a result of the loss of aesthetic appearances, such as shrinking and involution of breast volume, breast tissue shrinkage and sagging after discontinuation of breastfeeding in breasts growing due to breastfeeding. When sagging, the nipple looks down or hangs on the breasts.
In some patients, the reduction of breast tissue as a result of gaining and losing excess weight may have the same result. Breast lift operations in the breast to regain the old form and steepness, reshaping, the conical structure is aimed to achieve. If the dark area around the nipple (areola) is large, it can be narrowed with this surgery. Almost all sagging breasts are corrected in the brown part.
Preoperative Considerations
The preoperative thoracic examination should be performed. Breast ultrasonography and mammography should be evaluated and decided for the operation in dangerous situations or people over 40 years of age.
Stopping smoking before the operation allows you to recover more quickly and smoothly. Aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs should be discontinued 2-3 weeks in advance. Commonly used herbal remedies or herbal supplements should be discontinued before the operation.
How is Breast Lift Surgery Performed?
Breast lifting surgery is performed under general anaesthesia regardless of the technique. Depending on the technique to be used, the time of breast lift surgery varies between 2-4 hours. Silicone prosthesis is placed under the breast for patients with slight sagging. For additional information on surgical technique and features, please refer to the breast augmentation department.
Patients with obvious breast sagging and the mammary gland are quite adequate, similar to breast reduction surgery. The difference is that the mammary gland is not reduced. If the amount of mammary gland is insufficient, after the silicone prosthesis is placed under the breast, abundance in the skin is collected, similar to the breast reduction technique. Breast gland removal is not performed.
After Breast Lift Surgery
Breast lift operations are performed in the hospital under general anaesthesia and last for an average of 3 hours. Postoperative pain is not too much. Swelling occurs up to 4-5 days. These swellings begin to descend after 1 week. Then a few dressings are applied and the stitches heal around 10-12 days.
In the early period, the breasts will stand upright and upright, and after a month the under-breast curl will become natural. Postoperatively, the patient can return to work within 3-4 days. It is recommended to stay away from heavy sports for 1 month.
Aesthetic breast lift surgery is generally an operation that gives good and lasting results, improves both the appearance and mental health of the person and makes them more dependent on life. Newly shaped breasts are long-lasting, but weight changes, pregnancy, breastfeeding and gravity can cause new sagging.
Postoperative Recovery
One night after surgery, the patient stays in the hospital. In this type of surgery, I decide to use the drain according to the size and amount of sagging of the breast. If a drain is used, the drain is removed on the 3rd day. The drain is used to remove the accumulated blood from the body at the surgical site.
After the 3rd day, 1st week and 2nd-week checks are done. In the second week, the stitches are removed and we start your scars. There will be swelling in your breasts for a certain period, these swelling will decrease with each passing day. 1-week rest after the operation will be enough.
Postoperative Scarring
It is usual for each incision to have a trace. The scars will vary according to the incision scar decided for surgery. These tracks will be of the kind that can be stored with a bra or bikini. Over time, the traces will be less visible.
Postoperative Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is continued. In some cases, a decrease in milk may occur.
Combined Breast Augmentation & Lifting
Sometimes a combined breast operation is needed to give your breasts the look you want. The breast lifting procedure is designed to provide you with a higher, younger chest circumference as well as a breast of the correct size and the desired size.
It is not enough to raise breasts again because of childbearing, breastfeeding or age. Breast augmentation aims to correct volume loss in the upper part of the breast.
It is a very common technique to combine these two processes. But not everyone can.
Some women who have undergone breast augmentation may also need to be breast-lifted by implantation or revision. The history of previous implants or breast lift increases the risk of complications and should be thoroughly discussed with your surgeon.
Breast Revision
Many women in the world decide to have breast augmentation surgery with implants every year. While the majority of women are satisfied with the augmentation results, some patients decide to remove or replace the implants. Breast revision surgery is performed to correct, remove or replace an existing implant that does not work properly or is no longer aesthetically desirable.
Also, women with breast implants that have been applied for more than a decade may consider the breast revision procedure to replace their existing implants.
Some of the most common aesthetic and/or health-related reasons for women choosing breast revision surgery are:
Breast Volume and/or Shape Changes: Weight changes, age, pregnancy and breastfeeding can cause changes in the shape or volume of breasts.
Leakage of the Silicone Implant Shell: Silicone implants can tear and leak, which can be detected by Magnetic resonance.
Breast Implant Replacement: Breast augmentation patients may require a change in implant type due to personal aesthetic or health concerns.
Capsule Contracture: One of the common complications of breast augmentation surgery is capsule contracture. It occurs when the wound tissue around the implant hardens.
Improper Position of the Implant: If the pocket around the breast implant is too large, the implant may change its position to take a biased position.
Slip in breast implants: Implants may slip if they do not get enough support from the surrounding muscles, causing asymmetry.
Infection or Allergy: Although very rare, in some cases, the body may reject the implant, the infection may occur.
Implant Closure Problems: Fluctuations in the implant may occur from the skin if the breast tissue covering the implant is too thin.
Symposia: Cutting the chest muscle during breast augmentation may cause the breasts to fall in the mid-chest, and the abnormal image may appear with a “single breast”.
Bottom-out deformity: If the nipples appear too high or the natural folding of the chest is unusual, this complication occurs. This is more common in patients with very fine breast tissue because in these patients the implant pulls down the chest.
Double bubble: Double bubble complication occurs when the breast implant falls below the natural folding of the breast and causes the chest tissue to hang and sag.
Breast Implant Removal: Breast revision surgery can be performed in women who wish to remove breast implants to remove the implant and/or perform a breast lift to the remaining breast tissue.
Correction of Wound Tissue Associated with Primary Breast Surgery: Excessive wound tissue due to breast surgery can be corrected by surgery.
Revision of the Implant Size: Patients who are dissatisfied with the size of the original implant may opt for breast revision surgery to reduce or increase the implant size.
Surgical Technique
Patients wishing to replace their implants will undergo a procedure in which one or both of the implants may be replaced. These revision surgeries are usually simple. If there is scar tissue around the implant, an additional step will be taken to remove it. Some patients may require breast lifting during revision surgery. Also, if additional support is required, a tissue matrix device known as a sheet may be used. The purpose of the revision process is to solve or eliminate the problems to meet the patient’s aesthetic goals.
How Does the Recovery Process Go After Breast Revision?
The recovery period after the breast revision will be quite easy. After waking up, patients are transferred to another room and checked. It is appropriate to remove the bands before the first shower. Usually, after breast revision, the bands do not need to stop for a very long time.
Light walks are allowed after the first day, but heavy exercises are prohibited for a while. In general, patients do not experience severe pain and pain, but in case of medication can be taken with the advice of a doctor.
The swelling will occur after breast revision and this is quite normal. The swellings also disappear after a while and the expected result is increasingly evident. Every patient should be patient and should not interfere with their controls at this stage. Breast revision practices performed within our institution will provide healthy and lasting results.
