General Information about Breast Reduction Surgery (Reduction Mammaplasty)

Some women and men suffer from oversized breasts. In women, this condition is called breast hypertrophy, and for men, it is called gynecomastia. Breast reduction is called reduction mammaplasty.

For women, breast hypertrophy usually occurs at puberty. Sometimes it also occurs during pregnancy, but doesn’t go away after the baby is born. Sometimes it just happens spontaneously.

For men, gynecomastia can be caused by genetics, disease, the use of drugs (some legal, such as blood-pressure medication; some not, such as marijuana), or hormonal changes. It can happen at any age. Surprisingly, about 50 percent of all men have gynecomastia.

Having breast reduction surgery can interfere with a woman’s ability to nurse later, so if you are a woman, may want to nurse later, and are thinking about having breast reduction surgery, you definitely need to discuss that with your cosmetic surgeon ahead of time.

Reasons for Getting a Breast Reduction

Western culture idealizes women with large breasts, and pretends that men don’t have breasts at all, but the truth is that not all women want to be large-breasted, and some men have more than they want, too.

A woman may want to have the size of her breasts reduced if: she feels self-conscious about the size of her breasts; her breasts are out of proportion to the rest of her body, or one breast is larger than the other one; or her breast size is causing problems physically.

A man may want to have the size of his breasts reduced if he feels uncomfortable with their size. If a man finds himself avoiding things like going swimming or being intimate because he has overly developed breasts, then that’s a very real problem. Fortunately, it’s a problem that can be solved.

Having Realistic Expectations

It’s important to have realistic expectations about breast reduction. If you are thinking of getting a breast reduction, consider the following questions: Are you in good overall health? Do you smoke or use drugs? (If so, your surgeon will ask you to cease use.) Are you generally a happy person with a positive, upbeat viewpoint? Would non-surgical treatment options postpone or eliminate the need for the surgery? How would you be able to deal with it if more surgeries became necessary?

For additional information about breast reduction surgery in Queensland contact our office today!