Risks Of Breast Reduction Surgery

Just like any other form of cosmetic surgery, breast reduction surgery carries a number of risks that you should be aware of before you commit to having the size of your breasts reduced.

Although your cosmetic surgeon should make you fully aware of these risks during your consultation period, not all surgeons will. Some surgeons may purposefully not tell you about the risks, leave some risks out or downplay the risks of breast reduction surgery.

This is a common tactic used to get you to commit to having surgery sooner, rather than being scared away because of the risks involved.

Below you will find some of the main risks of breast reduction surgery.

Bleeding After Cosmetic Surgery

Bleeding that occurs after surgery is called postoperative bleeding. Although surgeons take steps to try and prevent postoperative bleeding, sometimes bleeding will occur despite the surgeons best efforts.

Minor bleeding is usually not a problem, and should clear up on its own. Severe bleeding can cause bruising, swelling and pain and will need to be drained by your surgeon using a special syringe.

Postoperative bleeding is generally considered to be a minor risk of breast reduction surgery providing you are given good aftercare.

Loss Of Sensation After Breast Reduction Surgery

Losing sensation in your nipple, areolar or surrounding breast skin is a relatively common occurrence after breast reduction as a result of nerves which were damaged during surgery.

Generally speaking, the larger your breasts are the greater the likelihood that you will lose some sensation in your breasts after surgery.

Loss of breast sensation is a very real and serious risk of breast reduction surgery. For this reason you are advised to ensure that the cosmetic surgeon you chose to carry out your procedure is well trained and experienced.

Don’t try to go with a surgeon just because they are cheaper, as you may end up regretting your decision later on.

The majority of women who lose breast sensation after breast reduction surgery regain it within a few months, or at most, within two years. Some women however, never regain breast sensation.

Loss Of Tissue After Breast Surgery

In some instances, regions of the breast may receive inadequate blood flow after surgery. When this occurs, parts of the breast tissue or skin begin to die and may eventually fall off. To correct this, secondary breast surgery will be required.

Loss of breast tissue is a very serious risk of breast reduction surgery, although fortunately, it is a fairly rare risk that only happens to a very small number of patients.

Scarring After Plastic Surgery

Scarring is an unavoidable part of breast reduction surgery, and if you decide to go ahead with breast reduction you should have been made aware that you will have visible scars on your breast once you have fully recovered from surgery.

However, whilst you will have scarring as a result of your surgery, it is difficult to predict the extent of your scarring because everyone heals differently.

Other factors such as your age, general level of health, skin type and how well you look after your scars will all play a factor in determining how visible your scars will be after your surgery.

Scarring is therefore an unpredictable risk of breast reduction surgery, and something you must be willing to accept if you want to reduce the size of your breasts.

Breast Asymmetry

Asymmetry means that your breasts do not look the same, and after breast reduction surgery this may mean that one breast looks slightly bigger than the other.

Most women naturally have different sized breasts, although this difference is usually so slight that it is not obviously noticeable.

Asymmetry is considered to be a relatively minor risk of breast reduction surgery providing you go to a well trained and experienced cosmetic surgeon. The risk is greater should you go to a less experienced surgeon.

If you have very asymmetrical breasts after surgery you will require secondary revision breast reduction surgery to correct them.

Infection Of The Breast After Surgery

Any time you undergo an invasive form of surgery like breast reduction surgery, there is a chance that your wounds may become infected.

This risk of infection can be greatly minimised if you go to a reputable cosmetic surgeon who operates in a clean environment. If you do suffer an infection after surgery, in most cases it can be dealt with successfully with antibiotics.

Infection is a serious risk of breast reduction surgery, but thankfully it tends to be quite a minor risk due to modern day healthcare standards.