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Northern Virginia Breast Reduction (Reduction Mammaplasty) in Fairfax VA, Manassas VA and Vienna VA

Breast Reduction Indications
The Breast Reduction Scar
The Initial Consultation
Breast Asymmetry or Unevenness
How we Minimize Complications of Breast Reductions

Breast Reduction Indications

Breast reduction patients are amongst the happiest patients. Women who suffer from large breasts complain of pain- due to the heaviness of the breasts- affecting their neck, back, and shoulders. They also are dissatisfied from their body image and may be unable to wear the clothes that they desire because of their enlarged breast. These factors may hinder a woman with large breast from participating in sports, playing a more active social role, and simply enjoy life to the fullest. If the areola (the pigmented skin around the nipple) has enlarged with time and you would like it to be reduced, that can easily be done with a lift.

The Breast Reduction Scar

The breast reduction scar can cause women who seek this operation some anxiety, the result of having smaller breast with the weight literally lifted off of her shoulders, offsets any dissatisfaction from the anchor incision scars. Since by definition, a breast reduction is also a lift, I perform it in a similar way to a breastlift. The scars of a breast reduction are similar to those of an "anchor" incision breastlift, or "Wise" pattern breast lift. A " wise pattern" lift is performed with an anchor incision. Skin is removed from around the areola and a significant portion of the lower half of the breast leaving a scar that is shaped like a lollipop plus horizontal scars extending part or the total lower crease of the breast forming a scar that looks like an anchor. The major difference between a reduction and a lift is that in a lift, only skin is excised and perhaps a small amount of breast tissue. In a reduction, a large amount of breast tissue is removed, with an average of about 1-2 lbs removed from each breast.

We get asked a lot of questions about scars. Usually, scars will heal. Scars can be revised in the future according to the patient's wishes, but I have a revision rate of about 2% and the rest of patients, with time, are happy with the trade-off of excess skin and breast tissue for breast reduction scars. We also offer women a unique scar tape and cream system proven in a study on 800 patients to optimize scar healing. The vast majority of patients are very happy with their breast reduction and are eventually very accepting of the scars are a good trade-off.

The Initial Consultation

An initial consultation is set-up with Dr. Bitar at one of his Northern Virginia breast reduction offices to discuss the breast reduction procedure and whether you are a good candidate for the surgery. Your medical history is reviewed, and you will be asked to see your medical doctor for a physical check-up and a few labs to make sure you can undergo the surgery safely. You are given the opportunity to be seen by your own doctor to give the green light for surgery. You are given the opportunity to talk to patients who have had the same surgery you are considering. You are seen by Dr. Bitar shortly after the surgery (in a day or two usually). You are given garments, and complimentary scar management tape and cream when appropriate, all free of charge, to enhance your recuperation. You are seen regularly after your surgery. You are always welcome to come back for follow-up, even years after your surgery, free of charge.

Breast Asymmetry or Unevenness

Very rarely are a woman's breasts perfectly even, or symmetrical. Sometimes, the lack of symmetry can cause a woman to be distressed, adding prosthetic implants in her bra to achieve symmetry. This is a common situation that women do not like to discuss. The solution is straight-forward. If a woman with uneven breasts seeks a breast augmentation, it is simple to fill one breast implant more than the other to make the breasts as symmetrical as possible. Sometimes a breast augmentation is performed on one breast and a breast augmentation and lift, or a breast lift alone, or even a breast reduction is performed on the opposite breast simultaneously. The treatment plan is agreed upon during the consultation.

How We Minimize Complications of Breast Reductions:

At the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute, our Northern Virginia breast reduction staff take pride in making sure we provide for our patients the best surgical experience possible. This is a process that includes the pre-operative preparation, the actual surgery, and the after care.

Bleeding
Bleeding after a breast reduction rare. Before surgery, our patients are tested to make sure they don> "t have any common bleeding disorders by their own physicians, and by lab tests. In my practice the rate of significant bleeding is less than 1%. Very rarely, I will put drainage tubes in the breasts during a procedure, if I feel there will be some bleeding after the surgery, so the blood will be drained into a plastic bulb that the patient can empty. Those drains are removed in the days after surgery.

Infection
The most important step in avoiding infections, in my opinion, is to perform the surgery at a first-rate surgical facility such as INOVA Fairfax Hospital. Patients are given the appropriate intravenous antibiotics coverage throughout the surgery. During the surgery, the skin surface of the patient is cleaned properly. After the procedure, my patients are prescribed a one-week course of antibiotics to minimize infection. As a result of these extra precautions, my rate of infection after a breast reduction is extremely rare. It may occur at the superficial incision level where the tension is highest, and a small open wound may occur which will usually heal nicely with dressing changes and antibiotic ointment. The scar usually heals very well. Very rarely, I will do a scar revision to improve the appearance of that scar.

Open Wounds
In a breast reduction, there is manipulation of a relatively large amount of breast tissue, resection of 1-2 lbs of skin, fat, and breast tissue, and the closure of skin under some mild tension. Because the incisions are under tension, as well as the weight of the breast causing pressure, there can be either loss of some skin or a small opening of the wound at the base of the breast. This is treated with dressing changes and cleaning of the wound in the office as needed. This can occur in about 2-4% of patients. Usually the wounds heal very well and nothing further needs to be done.

Ability to Breastfeed
Women are sometimes concerned that if they get a breast reduction that they will not be able to breastfeed afterwards. The likelihood of losing the ability to breastfeed after a breast reduction is about 4% in the literature. With the techniques that are described above, inability to breastfeed after breast lifts that I have performed has not occurred with any of our patients to my knowledge.

Loss of Nipple Sensation or nipple / Areolar skin
Similar to what has been said about ability to breastfeed, loss of nipple sensation is a potential complication that due to the technique with which I perform this procedure is a minimal complication, with less than 1% occurrence. However, there is theoretically a higher chance of losing the nipple in a breast reduction in either a lift or an augmentation procedure due to changes in blood supply to the nipple. Temporary loss of sensation from a "stunned" nerve or a bruised nerve may occur in the time period after surgery, but sensation in the vast majority of cases returns within a few weeks. In one case, nipple sensation was regained after 6 months!

Information on this web site is for information only. Do not use the information to diagnose or treat your plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery problems. Please contact your plastic surgeon with all questions and concerns.