Can Liposuction Help Reduce The Size Of My Breasts?

Liposuction is a large and growing field. Even during a widespread recession, over 300,000 liposuctions (also called lipoplasty and suction lipectomy) were performed in America last year.

One of the most popular areas for liposuction is the breast. Suction lipectomy can be a very successful and minimally invasive way of performing a breast reduction. This article will discuss who is a good candidate for a liposuction breast reduction.

Most women who decide to get breast reductions have excessively large and heavy breasts. If a woman's breasts are too heavy, then this can lead to pain in the shoulders, neck and back. The weight can alter the curvature of the spine and change one's posture as one constantly has to hold up the weight of the breasts. In some cases, the constant, heavy pressure of the bra strap can cause skin and other damage around the shoulder blades.

If you have these symptoms, you may be a good candidate. Liposuction can remove up to 50% of a woman's breast mass, which could significantly ease the load on a woman's spine and joints.

However, liposuction can only remove fat, not glandular tissue. So, if a woman has a large amount of glandular tissue spread throughout her breast, a liposuction may not be able to help her, even if her breasts are large and heavy. Similarly, liposuction cannot help women who have large and pendulous breasts that have little fat. As a woman ages and reaches menopause, the glands of the breast tend to convert into fat. While liposuction of the breast can be performed on women of just about any age, it is frequently especially easy on post-menopausal women.

Liposuction works best on people who are looking to reduce the size of their breasts, not reshape them drastically. A lipoplasty will frequently provide some amount of lift to a woman's breasts, simply because it helps to counteract the effects of gravity. However, it will not typically change the shape of the breasts, merely size and position. If a woman wants drastic reshaping, she may need a breast lift. However, a woman should be aware that breast lifts and scalpel-based reductions tend to cause much more serious scarring than liposuction, which typically produces very little in the way of visible scars.

Some studies seem to suggest that liposuction of the breast has less of a negative effect on breastfeeding than other forms of breast surgery. Because this is the case, women who would still like to breastfeed their children may want to choose liposuction over other forms of breast reduction.

Women who are at a high risk for breast cancer will want to check carefully with their doctor and with their prospective surgeon about what a liposuction could mean for their future safety. All forms of breast surgery cause some amount of scarring, which can affect one's ease of detecting cancer, both through mammograms and self-tests.

If you are considering undergoing a breast reduction because of pain, you might consider speaking with your insurance company. Although health insurance companies tend not to fund cosmetic surgeries, if you can show it to be medically advisable, they may be willing to help you.

If you would like to know more about whether or not liposuction of the breast could help you to reach your goals, speak with a surgeon in your area. In a free consultation, you can learn more about the procedure. If you share your goals and wishes openly and candidly with your surgeon, you should be able to know more about whether it is right for you.