How does pregnancy affect a breast reduction procedure?
For women of child-bearing age, the decision to undergo a breast reduction procedure is complex. Many women are troubled by their heavy breasts, causing such problems as back pain, neck pain, difficulty finding clothes that fit and social isolation. A breast reduction procedure can safely and effectively remedy these problems – without affecting a woman’s ability to breast feed in the future.
However breast shape and size changes with pregnancy – so the question is, do you undergo the breast reduction procedure NOW to relieve the symptoms, knowing that a revisional procedure may be required another day, or do you put up with the symptoms until after you’ve had a family?
Here is a recent question answered by Sydney Plastic Surgeon Dr Damian Marucci on the breast.com.au forum.
The question was:
Hi, I am 30 years old and conisdering having breast reduction surgery. However, I would hope to get pregnant in the next 5 years or so, and worry what impact this would have on my breasts after this procedure. Would pregnancy cause sagging / drooping? And would I be able to breast feed? Can you offer any advise as to the effects of getting pregant would have on my breasts post surgery? Thank you
Dr Marucci’s answer was:
Thanks for your excellent questions. Breast reduction is a safe an effective procedure for decreasing the size and improving the shape of your breasts. However, breasts change in size and shape with pregnancy and breast feeding. Pregnancy/ breast feeding cause an initial increase in breast size followed by a later decrease in breast volume. As a result, there is a risk of a recurrence of the sagging and drooping you are complaining of (the technical term for the sagging is “ptosis”). Previous studies have shown that breast reduction surgery, when done well, does NOT affect your ability to breast feed – so that’s some good news. The decision about whether to have breast reduction surgery now, or wait until after you’ve finished having a family is not an easy one. It comes down to how much you are affected by your breasts at the moment. If you can wait a few years until everything has settled down after pregnancy/ breast feeding, then your breast reduction procedure would be more likely to give you a long lasting result. If your life is being severely affected now, then a breast reduction now may be the best way to go – if only to improve your quality of life – even though there is a chance that you may need some revisional surgery down the track. I hope this helps.
To read the full story, click here.
Dr Marucci is an expert Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery who specialises in cosmetic surgery of the breasts. You can see some of his excellent before and after results by clicking here or here.
