BREAST REDUCTION

The operation involves

1. Moving your nipple to its new position  – usually while it's still attached to the blood supply

2. Removing excess fat, glandular tissue and skin from your breasts

3. Reshaping the remaining breast tissue

Most women are left with a scar around the nipple. With some surgical techniques, the scar will also run down vertically and horizontally across the breast crease (anchor-shaped), or just run down vertically to the breast crease.

The operation takes between 90 minutes and 4 hours, depending on the extent of the breast reduction.

When you wake up after surgery, you will have dressings on your breasts and you will be in a surgical bra. The surgery is performed as a day case procedure and you will be able to go home the same day.

​It can take two to six weeks to fully recover from breast reduction surgery. You may need to take a week or two off work and shouldn't drive for at least a week.

The final appearance of your breasts may not be obvious for several weeks or months after the operation.

I recommend  wearing a sports bra 24 hours a day for 2  months after breast surgery.

The length of time you need to keep the dressings on depends on how quickly your wounds healed. Stitches are dissolvable.

You should avoid stretching, strenuous exercise and heavy lifting for up to six weeks after the operation. You can drive again when it's no longer painful to wear a seatbelt, which may be several weeks.