TL;DR:
- Mammoplasty: Breast reduction surgery to reduce fatty tissue, mammary gland, and excess skin, often for health reasons like back pain or psychological burden caused by oversized breasts.
- Indications: Large breasts (macromastia/gigantomastia) causing spine strain, skin irritation, or low self-esteem.
- Preparation: Requires medical consultations, breast ultrasound, mammogram, EKG, blood tests, and discontinuation of hormonal contraception and certain medications 1-3 months prior.
- Timing: Best done post-childbirth, 6+ months after breastfeeding, and just after menstruation. Avoid if under 20 or prone to severe scarring.
- Procedure: 3-hour surgery under general anesthesia; involves incisions, tissue removal, modeling, and symmetry adjustments.
- Post-op care: Hospital stay of 1-2 days, 6 weeks of wearing a surgical bra, limited physical activity, and scar minimization techniques (e.g., lasers, silicone patches). Full recovery may take a year.
- Risks: Scarring, nerve damage, lactation loss, asymmetry, or rare complications like necrosis or infection.
- Cost: Typically 4,000–14,000 PLN but reimbursable with qualifying medical conditions.
When it comes to breast procedures, the most you can read about is breast augmentation. This is a popular topic both in scientific studies of aesthetic medicine and on lifestyle and gossip sites. Much less attention in the topic of breasts is given to symmetrization and reduction of the breasts, while these are often necessary and essential for health. What is mammoplasty, what are the indications for the operation, when to perform it and what to pay attention to in order to effectively resolve the problem of oversized breasts?
What is mammoplasty?
Mammoplasty is a breast reduction procedure. In it, fatty tissue and part of the mammary gland are reduced. The excess remaining skin and subcutaneous tissue is then removed. The mammoplasty procedure is most often used by women struggling with overly large or asymmetrical breasts, suffering from gigantomastia and macromastia. And while it is a common belief that large breasts are an advantage and an attribute of femininity, their disproportionate and significant size often poses a number of problems. Most often, they are related to back pain, difficulties in performing simple daily activities, problems with choosing appropriate underwear and closet, or playing sports.
When is mammoplasty needed? Indications for the procedure
Women undergo breast reduction mainly for health reasons (although such procedures are also performed for aesthetic reasons and individual preferences). Although every figure is different, it is assumed that a breast of normal size and structure weighs about half a kilogram. The nipple, on the other hand, is located about 20 centimeters below the sternum. In the case of gigantomastia, the weight of one breast can be as much as 2.5 – 3 kg. This causes considerable strain on the spine, pain and degenerative complaints. The skin and muscles of the chest also suffer. Overly large breasts cause skin flare-ups and irritation, especially under the breasts, but also on the shoulders, in the area of the underwear straps. An important, though often overlooked, aspect of breast hypertrophy is psychological. Overly large breasts are a source of complexes, bad mood and low self-esteem for many people. Often, in order to hide overly large breasts, women hunch over, hide their breasts or choose voluminous clothing to disguise them.
What is the preparation for the procedure, what needs to be done?
Although a mammoplasty is commonly referred to as a procedure, it is a major surgery that requires a number of steps before it is performed. First of all, a medical consultation is needed (usually more than one), during which the doctor gets acquainted with the patient's specific case, evaluates in detail the body proportions: weight, height, chest shape and breast location, and discusses the best options for the patient to modify the breasts. Before the operation, a set of internal examinations should also be performed to learn about the patient's overall health. These typically include breast ultrasound, EKG, blood count and blood clotting time. A mammogram – a radiological examination of the breast along with a detailed assessment of the health of the nipple – is also necessary.breast reduction surgery An important part of preparing for mammoplasty is also a gynecological consultation, especially for women using hormonal contraception. One to three months before the planned breast reduction procedure, it is necessary to discontinue it. Special attention is also paid to the anticoagulant drugs taken, which contain acetylsalicylic acid. They can cause increased bleeding during mammoplasty. About two weeks before surgery, in addition to the medications specified by the doctor, you also need to stop taking all herbs and dietary supplements. And six hours before surgery, you should not eat, drink or smoke cigarettes.
When is the best time to have a mammoplasty procedure?
A set of examinations and consultations are not the only aspects important for the procedure. The patient should generally be in good physical and mental condition, be aware of her condition, the course of the operation, recovery and the changes that will be made to her chest. Mammoplasty is discouraged for women before the age of 20 and those who are clearly prone to prominent and hard scars. These can prevent subsequent mandatory periodic cancer screening. Breast reduction of significant size can also result in the inability to breastfeed in the future. For this reason, the mammoplasty procedure is recommended for women who have already given birth to the last of their planned children and have ended breastfeeding at least six months before the scheduled procedure. The breast reduction procedure is best performed at a time when the breasts have relatively the least blood supply and hormone levels are lower. This usually occurs in the first week after menstruation.
Mammoplasty – the course of the operation
Mammoplasty is performed under general anesthesia and takes about 3 hours. The technique of performing the procedure is chosen by the plastic surgeon during the consultation and depends on the individual case of the patient. Not all procedures to remove excess fat are performed along with getting rid of excess skin. Sometimes liposuction alone is enough to achieve the desired effect. Breast reduction surgery involves making cuts in the skin (usually around the nipple) to get rid of the excess gland. The excised material is then weighed so that the same amount of tissue can be removed from the other breast. The next stage involves modeling the breast and nipple at the appropriate height. It is at this point in the operation that any excess skin is removed. The plastic surgeon then molds the breasts, taking care of their final shape and symmetry.
Breast size vs. the number of cuts performed
Depending on the specific case, breast structure, the amount of tissue to be reduced, different types of cuts are used during mammoplasty. The generally accepted principle is based on performing the minimum necessary to achieve the desired effect. However, this minimum is not always possible to actually apply, especially in the case of large breasts. A popular cut in the form of an anchor is very often used. This extends around the nipple and then down toward the skin fold, which is incised horizontally. Sometimes, however, mammoplasty is performed with fewer cuts, after which only one vertical scar remains. In that case, the structure necessary for future lactation is intact. Other cutting methods are also used during breast reduction procedures. These include an upper transfer that involves removing part of the gland and suturing the lower part of the breast, or a vertical transfer that creates a band incision in which the nipple is placed. Removal of excess tissue and skin over the incision is also performed (lower pyramidal transfer), as well as displacement, reduction and shaping of the nipple areola, or so-called free grafting.
What to expect after the procedure? Recovery period
After breast reduction surgery, the patient usually stays in the hospital for 1-2 days. This involves post-operative observation and taking strong painkillers. After returning home, wearing a special surgical bra is required for a period of six weeks. After a week, it is possible to return to work (in case it is not a physical or strenuous job). Removal of the stitches usually occurs about 15-20 days after surgery, however, it is necessary to wait much longer, even a year, for the full effects of the procedure. After the mammoplasty procedure, you should not lift or perform activities involving intense physical activity. You should refrain from sleeping on your stomach, doing activities involving shoulder work, such as washing windows or ironing. You can return to moderately demanding exercise about a month after surgery, but it is recommended to hold off until after full recovery. Direct sunlight, tanning beds, saunas and UV rays should also be avoided for six months.
Risk of complications after breast reduction.
Any procedure, including mammoplasty, can cause various complications. Among the most common are hemorrhages, inflammation and clots in blood vessels. Less common is necrosis of the nipple, areola, or a change in nipple color. After breast reduction surgery, there may also be damage to the milk ducts (preventing lactation), the occurrence of breast asymmetry and atrophy. In the last case, we are talking about the situation of cutting the nerve and the lack of sensation of stimuli more than 3 months after the operation. Until then, incomplete sensitivity of the operated site is a normal phenomenon.
What can be done to reduce scars and how to take care of them?
To aid recovery and additionally take care of reducing the appearance of post-surgical scars, it is advisable to use biostimulative laser treatments. This will significantly speed up the non-short wound healing process. It will also be good practice to perform regular breast massages and use widely available ointments and special silicone patches to prevent scarring. It should be remembered that mammoplasty, especially in the case of large breasts, regardless of the measures used by the patient, will leave permanent marks in the form of scars. However, if common methods of reducing them fail, you can take advantage of a wide range of effective aesthetic medicine treatments that will significantly reduce surgical marks, and often eliminate them almost completely.
How much does a mammoplasty cost?
The cost of mammoplasty depends on many factors. The specific case and complexity of the procedure, the choice of clinic, specialist and the city in which the patient decides to reduce her breasts are important. However, there is good news. If there are medical indications and a proper referral from a neurologist or orthopedist, the surgery can be reimbursed. However, the basic condition for it to be funded is the removal of a minimum of 0.5 kg of tissue from each breast.
Conclusion
Mammoplasty is more than an aesthetic choice—it's often a health necessity. From reducing back pain to improving confidence, this procedure offers life-changing benefits. Preparation, timing, and understanding the recovery process are critical for the best results. While scars are inevitable, proper care and advanced treatments can minimize them. Costs may vary, but with medical necessity, reimbursement is possible. If oversized breasts impact your quality of life, don’t ignore the solution mammoplasty provides—it’s a proven path to comfort and freedom.
