Breast Reduction
Large breasts causing discomfort?
If your large breasts are causing physical discomfort or embarrassment, The Skin Centre is here to help. You’re not alone if you feel burdened by large breasts and suffer skin irritation, shoulder indentation from bra straps, back and neck pain, or headaches as a result.
If you’d like to decrease the size of your breasts to increase your level of comfort and to enjoy wearing strapless, figure-fitting clothing, we can help.
The Skin Centre offers a Non-Scarring breast reduction technique through tumescent liposculpture.
Dr Paul Salmon introduced this technique to New Zealand 20 years ago. Since then, it has become increasingly popular amongst women who wish to avoid the scarring which results from traditional breast reduction and who want a fully functional and sensate nipple after their reduction.
Dr Paul Salmon
Contact us today for your confidential consultation
Is breast reduction right for you?
During your consultation with Dr Salmon, you will discuss your goals and expectations. Dr Salmon will examine the nature of your breasts, take into account your expectations, and explain the probable outcome of your procedure. You will be required to have blood tests, a mammogram, and a visit with the specialist nurse prior to the procedure.
What to expect
Some numbness and tingling is common after the breast reduction procedure and can take 3-6 months to resolve. This is in contrast to standard excisional reduction mammoplasty, which can leave you with an insensate nipple, ropey, tender skin, and unable to breastfeed.
Trauma to the breast tissue is minimal during tumescent liposculpture, which means there’s a much higher success rate of being able to breastfeeding than after excisional surgery.
Breast Liposculpture
As a recent medical development, breast liposculpture has proven to be a safe, quick and effective way to reduce the size of breasts by the removal of fat.
Unlike conventional liposuction, tumescent liposculpture is safer and results in less soreness, produces less bruising and swelling, and has a much shorter recovery period.
Tumescent liposculpture is a simpler and less traumatic procedure than previous surgical procedures, because nothing under the skin is actually cut. This is due to the use of tumescent anaesthetic, a special local anaesthetic that is infused under the skin. A thin tube called a micro cannula, less than 2mm in diameter, is then inserted into the small injection holes, dislodging the fat from the fibrous network in the breast. The micro cannula is connected to an aspirator, which carries the fat away.
The results of breast liposculpture are natural and long lasting. However, breast size may change again in the future as a natural process due to weight gain or pregnancy.
The breast reduction procedure
Dr Salmon performs breast reduction by liposculpture at his purpose-built rooms at The Skin Centre. This procedure is performed using light sedations and tumescent local anaesthesia. Several tiny (3-4mm) well-concealed incisions are made in the breast to insert the micro cannula.
The fatty tissue is then carefully suctioned away.
The entire procedure takes approximately three hours.
After breast reduction surgery
How will I feel after breast reduction surgery?
Post-operatively, most patients experience minimal discomfort from breast reduction surgery via liposculpture. You will be in the recovery room for only about two hours before you are able to go home. Dressings are worn for the first day or two.
Compression garments will be worn for 24 hours for the first two weeks, followed by 12 hours a day for the next six weeks, plus a very supportive bra. This is an all-important step as it enables the skin to shrink back into shape without stretching or bagging.
Patients are encouraged to resume normal activities as soon as they feel up to it.
Your new figure
Breast reduction can be life changing, it makes a dramatic change in your appearance and your outlook.
For women who want less mass in their breasts, tumescent liposculpture can provide the answer. This procedure will reduce the size of the breasts, but it won’t alter their basic shape. However, it is capable of elevating the nipple upwards and inwards to a certain extent.
Many patients find relief from back pain and new enjoyment in sports, exercise, dancing and even walking.
My Breast Reduction Experience – A patients perspective
“Since the age of 11 I have been aware of my early developing and over developing breasts… and there has rarely been a time, especially in social settings, that I have not been aware of what I thought of as my front end loader attributes!!
Although I have always participated in sport or fitness, my large breasts were always a limiting factor. While not always so obvious to others the sheer extra weight affected my posture and fatigue levels. I was a cup size GG…not so bad you may think…but on a size 8 frame to support the one kg each of weight if was debilitating. Finally, I made the call to have a reduction.
Woah what an amazing difference… I now live a life in blissful unawareness of my breasts every time I go out or do any fitness activities. I have taken up running (in my 60s) and how cool is this experience… to be running 8 to 15ks when I could hardly run 100 metres pre -op.
I was able to share the significance of the change in a surprising way …with my adult son who was preparing for his first marathon. He had anticipated carrying 500ml water bottles on his chest, one each side in a front pack arrangement. Having tried it he described the effect as dragging him down and really tiring so he changed to a back pack arrangement. He received flash of light insight when I said that was exactly the difference for me when I had the operation… 1kg/500 mls each side of dragging down had been removed!!
I recommend this life changing experience to anyone !!!”