Breast Reduction

What is a Breast Reduction?

A breast reduction, or mammoplasty, is performed under general anaesthetic to remove excess breast tissue, fat, and skin. This allows the breasts to be reshaped and the nipples repositioned to a natural, balanced position. The procedure can improve physical comfort, mobility, and emotional wellbeing, particularly for patients experiencing pain, posture issues, or challenges with daily activities caused by large breasts.

Who is a candidate for a Breast Reduction?

Candidates for breast reduction often experience physical discomfort or functional limitations due to the size and weight of their breasts. Common reasons include:

• Chronic back, neck, or shoulder pain

• Skin irritation or rashes beneath the breasts

• Difficulty with physical activity or exercise

• Issues with posture or clothing fit

• This procedure can also have a positive impact on emotional wellbeing, helping patients feel more comfortable and confident in daily life.

What happens before breast reduction surgery?

During the consultation process, patients will be required to have a face-to-face consultation with a surgeon. Our experienced MYA surgeon will work with the patient to understand their personal requirements and will recommend the best treatment plan for them, discussing the risks, limitations, and benefits of breast reduction surgery.

Following the face-to-face surgeon consultation, patients will be invited to attend a ‘vitals' appointment with a MYA nurse. During this appointment, the nurse will take physiological measurements and perform screening procedures such as taking blood samples and swabs, as required as well as assessing your medical history. Patients are also required to attend an online pre-operative assessment with a nurse who will discuss pre and post-operative advice and requirements.

Patients will receive their hospital admission time up to 24-48 hours before their surgery date. Patients should shower either the evening before or the morning of surgery and must not apply deodorant, makeup, or skincare products.

Patients must not eat anything (including chewing gum) 6 hours prior to the hospital admission time. If you do eat prior to the 6 hours, surgery will be cancelled. You can drink small sips - 30mls per hour - of still clear water, up to 2 hours before your hospital admission time.

Patients must not drink alcohol for a minimum of 48 hours before nose surgery. If you drink more than 2-3 alcoholic drinks each day, you will need to abstain (stop) for 2 weeks prior to the date of surgery. MYA advises patients not to smoke, vape, or use nicotine patches for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to surgery (each surgeon will provide you with specific guidance on stopping smoking). 

Patients are also advised not to smoke, vape, or use nicotine products until they are fully healed, as this can lead to delayed healing and increased infection risk, having a negative effect on breast reduction recovery.

"I had a breast reduction in October 2020 and I wend from a 32G to 32E. It is the best thing I've ever done. I was suffering with extreme shoulder pain which was stopping me from exercising, sleeping and just enjoying life.

I now have no pain and I rarely where a bra. They sit perfectly, so many people think I've had implants. They are that amazing. My surgeon was amazing from start too finish, such a lovely man and knew exactly what I needed."

The procedure: What to expect?

Breast reduction procedure or mammoplasty is performed under general anaesthetic and can take between 1 ½ - 3 hours to perform - depending on the patients and their requirements. During the procedure, the surgeon will make incisions in the breast around the areola and down the breast to remove breast tissue, fat and excess skin. Liposuction is also sometimes used to aid the process. 

Once complete, the surgeon will reshape the breast and reposition the nipple and areola if required.                 

These incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches, which will be covered with dressings. In some cases, your surgeon will put drains (plastic tubes attached to suction bottles) on the breasts to catch excess fluid.

You will then be put in a recovery room to be brought safely around from the anaesthetics. Here, your pain and discomfort will be closely managed.  

*There is no guarantee of specific outcomes so individual results and experiences can vary from person to person.

Breast Reduction recovery

Every woman’s breast reduction recovery time is different, and each breast can heal at different rates - typically, patients take 6-8 weeks to heal from surgery. During the first few weeks, your breasts may feel tender and your incisions may feel itchy, but pain relief will be prescribed as required to ease any discomfort. Any bruising or swelling to the breasts and chest should subside after 7-21 days.

As it is a complex surgical procedure, patients will be required to stay in a MYA hospital overnight and be monitored by our nurses after breast reduction surgery.    

Post-op, patients will have dressings covering their breasts and in some cases, drains to remove any collected fluids. These will be removed before the patient is discharged.   

It is important patients do not get their incisions wet until advised it is safe to do so by a MYA Nurse. Patients can wash around the breasts and have shallow baths, but should avoid soaking their incisions. Initially, there may be some fluid leakage from the incisions following surgery so do not be alarmed as this is normal, however, anything pronounced should be brought to the attention of your MYA Nurse.

Patients are advised to take 7-14 days off work following a breast reduction procedure. If a patient’s job is more physically demanding, they may be required to take additional time off work for recovery.

Wound care is extremely important following a breast reduction procedure. Wounds will be checked 7-10 days post-operatively by a MYA Nurse and patients are required to attend additional post-operative appointments to allow the clinical team to monitor their healing and recovery.   

Patients must attend all their post-op appointments at their MYA clinical hub for a nurse to monitor healing and deliver wound care. Healing will evolve over several months, but it can take up to 1 year post-op to see the final result. During your pre and post op appointments the nurse will take photographs to show your breast reduction before and after. 

The results of breast reduction improve gradually, and it's important to remember that everyone heals differently and it can take up to 12 months for the final result to reveal itself. Your visits with your MYA nurse are a great time to make sure you're healing correctly and for your surgeon to check they're happy with the results.

What is a gigantomastia procedure?

Gigantomastia is when there is excessive growth in the breast tissue. It can happen spontaneously or during hormonal changes such as puberty and pregnancy and result in extremely large breasts. It can affect one or both breasts, causing breast asymmetry.  

Gigantomastia surgery is similar to a boob reduction in technique, however, the amount of breast tissue removed is greater (500g+ per breast) and the distance from the sternum to nipple pre-surgery is typically greater than 30cm. Your expert MYA surgeon will discuss the risks and limitations involved as well as the life-changing results this procedure can bring during the consultation process.

Costs and Financing options

Breast reduction prices start from £8,395

Breast reduction costs are tailored to individual requirements and can vary from person to person. Click here for further information on Breast Reduction costs.

We understand that cost is an important factor when considering surgery, so if you’re looking for an affordable breast reduction, MYA finance is the best option for you. To read more about our financing options for breast reduction, click here.

Does breast reduction surgery leave scars?

Due to the way a breast reduction is performed, scarring is inevitable. However, most of the scarring will sit beneath the nipple and so shouldn’t be too visible once healed and the swelling has gone down.

The most common type of scarring is anchor scarring - a T-shaped scar which goes around the areola, down, and curves under the crease of the breast - which is left when the surgeon makes the necessary incisions to remove the breast tissue. 

Scars can take up to a year to fade but to reduce the severity, it’s advised you avoid sun beds and smoking, and, if you do choose to sit in the sun, wear a high SPF, broad-spectrum suncream to protect the scar and reduce an increase in pigment.

Why choose MYA for a Breast Reduction?

At MYA, we pride ourselves on offering a high level of service and quality in all that we do whilst supporting thousands of happy patients.

Our trusted breast reduction surgeons are some of the most skilled professionals in the industry. All our surgeons are accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) to make sure you get the best professional advice, quality and surgeons with breast reduction expertise.

We are extremely proud to report that in a recent CQC inspection MYA were rated OUSTANDING! You can be safe in the knowledge that all MYA Cosmetic Surgery clinical hubs and hospitals are CQC registered. The CQC continue to monitor and regulate the services provided by healthcare providers to ensure standards are met at all times.

Testimonials from some of our MYA breast reduction patients:

“The main difference is probably my self confidence. Not only can I now go to the gym and get fit, lose the weight I want and build the body I’ve always dreamed of but I can finally buy those ‘cute’ outfits whilst out shopping and know that I can wear it with my head held high and my shoulders back because I’ll be owning my day and feeling like a queen in the process.” - Read Georgia’s story here 

“Having surgery changed my life for the better. It’s improved my mental health as well as my self-confidence. I can finally live my life without my breasts hindering me in any way” - Read Phoebe's story here