When it comes to the breasts, many people believe that bigger is better. This is evidenced by the continuing popularity of breast augmentation cosmetic surgical procedures. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), breast augmentation has consistently been one of the most popular procedures performed by its member surgeons. In fact, the number of procedures has increased by 35 percent from 2000 to 2014.

However, the story is quite different for women who naturally have overly large breasts. For these women, their breasts may cause back, neck, and shoulder problems; be prone to rashes; cause ruts in the shoulders due to ill fitting bras; and even cause problems with breathing. These women may see large breasts as more of a curse than a blessing.

Dr. Paul Pin has helped many of these women by performing breast reduction procedures. It is important that prospective patients understand that a breast reduction is a major surgical procedure and should not be taken lightly. Part of this understanding includes being aware of potential side effects of the procedure.

Pain and Discomfort

As with any surgical procedure, patients should expect a certain amount of pain and discomfort for the first several days following surgery. Dr. Pin will prescribe pain medication in order to make patients more comfortable during their initial healing stage following surgery.

Bruising and Swelling

Bruising and swelling are perhaps the two most common side effects following a breast reduction procedure. As frustrating as this may seem during the first week or two after the surgery, both bruising and swelling are a normal response to the skin being incised, and are part of the healing process.

Dr. Pin gives breast reduction patients a special compression garment to wear at all times for the first one to two weeks after the surgery. This tightly woven elastic garment fits on the body like a bra and will help reduce both the amount and duration of bruising and swelling. Cold compresses and ice may also help once the incisions are completely healed over. Taking the herb arnica montana will also help reduce bruising and swelling.

Itching and Numbness

After the first one to two weeks following the procedure, patients may notice itching or numbness in their breasts, particularly around the incision sites. Again, this is part of the body's healing process following any surgical procedure. When the body is incised, certain nerves leading to and from the skin and tissue are severed. During healing, the body will attempt to either reconnect those nerve pathways that were severed or establish entirely new ones. Itching and numbness are part of this nerve reconnection process.

Women who elect to undergo breast reduction surgery often eagerly wait for the day when they will no longer be plagued with back issues, skin rashes, or difficulty breathing. Dr. Pin feels it is important to emphasize the potential side effects from the procedure so that patients are aware of what to expect from the body's natural healing process. Contact our practice to learn more.